Departments: Buildings

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library a copy of the design and procurement option under consideration for the refurbishment for the heritage Cabinet Office estate.

Edward Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that the then Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Hilary Armstrong) gave to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 8 March 2007,  Official Report, column 2184W.

Non-Profit Making Associations: Grants

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much grant funding was given to third sector organisations by  (a) the Active Community Directors' and  (b) the Social Enterprise Unit in each year of their operation.

Phil Hope: The Office of the Third Sector (OTS) was created from the Active Communities Directorate (ACD) of the Home Office and the Social Enterprise Unit of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as a machinery of government change in May 2006.
	Audited information on expenditure by the ACD in the Home Office and the Social Enterprise Unit in the DTI is not available separately. Recorded grant funding by the ACD, based on internal outturn data of grants paid to the sector in each financial year were as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 1998-99 11,269,348 
			 1999-2000 15,705,645 
			 2000-01 18,894,849 
			 2001-02 28,146,399 
			 2002-03 44,119,332 
			 2003-04 63,767,427 
			 2004-05 107,780,463 
			 2005-06 154,824,807 
		
	
	The Social Enterprise made a small number of grants during its lifetime totalling less than £1 million between its creation in October 2001 and the transfer of funding to the Office of the Third Sector in May 2006.
	Details of the transfer of grants in 2006-07 from the Home Office and the Department of Trade and Industry to the Cabinet Office are published in the Central Government Supply Estimates (2006-07), Winter Supplementary Estimates and New Estimates HC 2 and in the Central Government Supply Estimates (2006-07), Spring Supplementary Estimates HC 293.

Terrorism: Memorial Day

David Chaytor: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what plans she has to promote and contribute towards the European Union's Memorial Day for the victims of terrorism in 2008; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: Plans are still being developed at the EU for the 2008 European Union's Memorial Day for the victims of terrorism, it is therefore too early to give details of any contribution. However, as in previous years, we will make information available to the 2008 Memorial Day through appropriate mechanisms such as the 7 July Assistance Centre Newsletter.

Derelict Land: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of new homes were built on brownfield sites in each London borough in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: Statistics for the period 2001 to 2005 (the most recent and statistically robust available) for the percentage of new dwellings (not including conversions) built on previously-developed ("brownfield") land are shown in the following table. The figure for the whole of London is 94 per cent.
	
		
			  Percentage of dwellings built on previously-developed land, in London 2001-05 
			   Percentage 
			 Barking and Dagenham 84 
			 Barnet 93 
			 Bexley 87 
			 Brent 85 
			 Bromley 90 
			 Camden 93 
			 City of London 100 
			 Croydon 99 
			 Baling 90 
			 Enfield 92 
			 Greenwich 95 
			 Hackney 99 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 100 
			 Haringey 100 
			 Harrow 86 
			 Havering 96 
			 Hillingdon 88 
			 Hounslow 93 
			 Islington 99 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 99 
			 Kingston upon Thames 94 
			 Lambeth 94 
			 Lewisham 99 
			 Merton 90 
			 Newham 82 
			 Redbridge 97 
			 Richmond upon Thames 98 
			 Southwark 94 
			 Sutton 99 
			 Tower Hamlets 98 
			 Waltham Forest 94 
			 Wands worth 100 
			 Westminster 100

Emergency Services: Gloucestershire

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the role played by the Gloucestershire tri-service centre during recent floods and water shortages.

John Healey: holding answer 10 September 2007
	A review of the wider lessons learned is to be carried out by the Cabinet Office, with support from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Communities and Local Government. This will examine the emergency response to the floods in June and July and consider how to reduce the risk and impact of floods in the future. The role performed by the Gloucestershire tri-service centre will be taken into account as part of this wider exercise.

Home Information Packs

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) of 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 164W, on home information packs, what payments her Department and its predecessor have made to  (a) Rightmove and  (b) Countrywide for advice, research or consultancy on home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: The Department has not made any such payments to Rightmove or Countrywide.

Home Information Packs

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) of 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 164W, on home information packs, what payments her Department and its predecessor made to  (a) Rightmove and  (b) Countryside for pilot schemes relating to home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: The Department has not made any such payments to Rightmove or Countrywide.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which Minister approved the establishment of the National Register of Social Housing; and on what date approval was given.

Iain Wright: My right Friend the Member for Streatham, then Minister of Housing and Local Government, approved the establishment of the National Register of Social Housing on 13 September 2004.

Land Use: Public Sector

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which Department has lead responsibility for maintaining the Register of Surplus Public Sector Land.

Iain Wright: The Register of Surplus Public Sector Land was set up in 2003. It is managed by English Partnerships on behalf of Communities and Local Government and in collaboration with other Government Departments, their sponsored bodies and other public sector organisations.
	The register provides a single reference point for all participating public sector organisations on the nationally available supply of surplus land. It helps to ensure that wider Government objectives, including housing needs and regional economic and housing strategies, are factored into land disposal decisions. The register identifies land held by central Government and its agencies that is surplus to operational requirements, and allows a 40 day period for public bodies to express an interest in this land before it is placed on the-market.

Departments: Non-departmental Public Bodies

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 29 June 2007,  Official Report, column 879W, on Departments: non-departmental public bodies, why the Fleet Air Arm Museum is classified as a public corporation.

Derek Twigg: The decision to classify the Fleet Air Arm Museum as a public corporation is a matter for the independent Office of National Statistics. However I understand that it was based on the fact that more than 50 per cent. of the museum's operating costs are met by market income.

Aircraft: Air Conditioning

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research she has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on links between ill-health among air crew and fumes released from aircraft.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In 2006 the Department commissioned the independent Committee on Toxicity (COT) to evaluate evidence submitted by the British Air Lines Pilots Association (BALPA) in relation to cabin air "fume events". The COT received information from oil companies, airlines, engine manufacturers, independent scientific experts and pressure groups. The COT reported on 20 September 2007. Its report is published on its website:
	www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/cotnonfood/index.htm.
	The Committee on Toxicity considered that it wasn't possible to conclude whether cabin air exposures (either general or following incidents) cause ill-health in commercial aircraft crews. It recommended further work, in particular, and as a priority, to ascertain whether substances in the cabin environment could potentially be harmful to health. COT considered that this work should be designed to detect any potentially harmful substances, rather than focus on named substances.
	In keeping with its commitment to promoting healthy flying, the Department accepts this priority. Through the Aviation Health Working Group, it has recently made preparations for such a study by testing equipment which may be capable of capturing substances released during oil and hydraulic fluid fume incidents. Once effective equipment has been identified it is intended to sample around 1,000 flights using more than one sampling device, more than one laboratory to analyse the results, and an independent project manager from the academic world.

Road Traffic Control: Disabled

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance is issued by the Department of Transport to highway authorities on consulting people with disabilities before the construction of traffic calming measures.

Rosie Winterton: "Local Transport Note 1/07 Traffic Calming" (Department for Transport, 2007) contains guidance on consultation (including consultation with people with disabilities) before the construction of traffic calming measures.

Roads: Flood Control

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on which  (a) motorways and  (b) trunk roads the Highways Agency used (i) water containment and (ii) pumps to respond to floods since the beginning of June 2007.

Tom Harris: The stretches of motorways and trunk roads on which the Highways Agency used water containment and/or pumps since the beginning of June 2007 is given in Tables 1 and 2 as follows. Several instances arose where flood warning signs were erected and gully clearance was necessary; these have not been included in the tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: Motorways where containment/pumps were used due to floods from June 2007 to-date 
			  Motorway  Water containment (e.g. sandbags, barriers, etc.) Yes: comment/no  Pumps used. Yes: comment/no 
			 A1(M) J8 northbound exit slip Emergency lane 1 closure installed and emergency flood warning boards erected. Stationary Pumps 
			 A1(M) J8 northbound exit slip Flood warning boards erected Stationary Pumps 
			 M1 J22 to 23 northbound Flooding on the hard shoulder after heavy rain. Trenches dug in the verge to assist in drainage. Water receded. No 
			 M1 J19 southbound bottom of exit slip No Flooding on slip road from heavy rain—water cleared with pump 
			 M1 Junction 38 northbound No Pumps used to protect farm property and livestock as river burst it's banks 
			 M3 J4 Sandbags for private property surface water not from the highway No 
			 M6 J13 and 14 northbound Flooding on hard shoulder from heavy rainfall. Trench dug at rear of gulley and water receded. Road then swept dry. No 
			 M6 J14 to 15 northbound Flooding on hard shoulder from heavy rain. Trenches dug in verge and water drained away. No 
			 M62 J26 eastbound Sandbags used No 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Trunk Roads where containment/pumps were used due to floods from June 2007 to-date 
			  Trunk road  Water containment (e.g. sandbags, barriers, etc.)  Pumps used. yes/no 
			 A1 Catterick No 2 vactor units (which is a lorry with a watertank and pump) to keep the gullies clear. 
			 DBFO A1 Darrington to Dishforth Wetherby No Pump used for loading water tanker for discharge off site and redirecting water into adjacent drainage system 
			 A1 Nottinghamshire, Worksop and Retford Sandbags at a number of locations to restrict flow of surface water off adjoining fields. No 
			 A3 Send Flood boards No 
			 A5 westbound at Churchbridge nr. Cannock No Sheer volume of rainfall on the carriageway caused flooding of foul drainage lifting cover, allowing sewage onto carriageway—specialist contractor clearance using pumps to transfer waste to tank. 
			 A5 Towcester Sandbags used No 
			 A5 southbound, Duncote Sandbags used No 
			 A5 north and southbound, Sheep Lane No Fire brigade supported with pumps. 
			 A14 Bury St. Edmunds No Water pumped away into tanker 
			 A27 Chichester No Pumps were used to remove water from the carriageway on three separate occasions 
			 A34 Chievely No Pump was used to filter water out the Chievely Depot (which was flooded by pond) onto HA land at M4/A34 Chievely junction 13 
			 A45/A46 Tollbar Island north and southbound Coventry No Pumped water to tanker 
			 A46 Nottinghamshire, Bingham No Pumps used to remove surface water from carriageway at two locations 
			 A50 Junction 24A Lockington Island nr. Derby No Flooding on one side of the island. Gulley jetted and water pumped to tanker 
			 A50 east and westbound at Meir Tunnel—nr. Stoke on Trent No Tunnel closed due to heavy rainfall flooding tunnel. Gullies and interceptors jetted and water pumped to specialist tanker 
			 A50 eastbound and westbound Meir tunnel nr. Stoke on Trent No Tunnel closure due to flooding from heavy rainfall. Catchpits pumped to tanker 
			 A65 Coniston Cold Flood boards erected on two separate occasions No 
			 A65 Settle Flood boards No 
			 A66 Temple Sowerby Flood boards erected on two separate occasions No 
			 A66 Crackenthorpe Flood boards erected No 
			 A259 Rye No Pumps were used to remove water from the carriageway 
			 A259 Bexhill Flood boards and coned area temporarily Pumps were used to remove water from the carriageway 
			 A259 (underpass)(1) Bexhill No Pumps were used to remove water from the underpass 
			 A428 east and westbound Cambourne Duals No Pumps were used to remove water 
			 A590 Lindal-in-Furness Flood boards erected No 
			 A616 at Midhopestones No Pumps used to pump standing water from highway over a wall into underbank reservoir 
			 A616 at Midhopestones 50 sandbags used Pumps used to pump standing water from highway over a wall into underbank reservoir 
			 (1 )The A259 underpass was affected on thirteen separate occasions. The Highways Agency are aware of the flooding issues there and are currently designing a scheme that will solve the problem this financial year.

Taxis: Licensing

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 17 September 2007,  Official Report, columns 2195-6W, on taxis: licensing, what assumptions were made about the  (a) total number of currently unlicensed drivers,  (b) number of vehicles,  (c) number of operators and  (d) average licence fees when making the estimate referred to; and how the estimate of total costs of £1 million was reached.

Rosie Winterton: The estimate of £1 million was included in the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) for the proposal to repeal the private hire vehicle (PHV) contract exemption; a copy of this is in the Library of the House. The RIA was based on the following assumptions: (a) 2000 drivers (b) 2000 vehicles and (c) 300 operators would have to be licensed as a direct result of the repeal of the contract exemption. Average fees for each of the licences were assumed to be £250, £200 and £400 respectively.
	These estimates and assumptions were based on the fact that the terms of the contract exemption are narrow and apply in a relatively limited number of cases. They made no allowance for eases now coming to light where transport providers might have believed, or claimed, that they were covered by the exemption but were not in reality so covered. A number of these cases are, and will remain, outside the definition of a PHV in the legislation and therefore will still not need to be licensed. Others should have been licensed as PHVs in the past and repeal of itself will not therefore create a new requirement to meet licensing costs. The Department has sought the views of stakeholders on draft guidance for local licensing authorities on the impact of the repeal and we expect to publish the final version of this shortly.

British National Space Centre: Information Officers

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many press officers are employed by the British National Space Centre.

Ian Pearson: The Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills employs one full-time press officer and one part-time press officer who work in the British National Space Centre.

Hazardous Substances: Waste Disposal

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent meetings he has had with companies about  (a) the polluter pays principle and  (b) the disposal of toxic waste.

Joan Ruddock: Neither my ministerial colleagues nor I have held any recent meetings with companies specifically on the polluter pays principle or on toxic waste deposits. However, Jeff Rooker and Ben Bradshaw met Environment Agency officials on 22 May 2007 concerning toxic waste disposal.
	The "polluter pays" is an underpinning principle of European and domestic environmental legislation under which those responsible for pollution must pay the costs of measures necessary to eliminate that pollution, or reduce it to comply with the standards laid down by public authorities.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many households in England received Warm Front grants in 2006; how many rural households in England received Warm Front grants in 2006; and what the average value of a Warm Front grant to a rural household in England was in 2006.

Phil Woolas: A total of 253,079 households in England received Warm Front grants in 2006-07. Of these, 37,496 were classified as rural households under the criteria set out by the Office of National Statistics. The average grant to those rural households was £1,104.44.

Housing: Floods

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when he expects to announce access to the full flood mapping data and flood defence information for existing and planned defences; and on what basis this will be provided to insurance companies;
	(2)  if he will differentiate between the types of property in flood mapping data and flood defence information; and if he will publish the address point data as opposed to postcode level to insurance companies.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency's flood maps provide information on flood risk from rivers and the sea. Full flood mapping data and flood defence information is already available in response to requests for access. A standardised set of information is available to insurance companies, among others, for re-use under licence, subject to the Environment Agency's standard licence terms and conditions.
	The Environment Agency's Flood Map and National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA) data are also available, under licence, subject to the Environment Agency's standard licence terms and conditions. Both data sets show areas of land at risk of flooding.
	The Environment Agency does not offer a product that differentiates between types of property because the requirements of different users vary, and because the chance of a property flooding is dependent on many factors including floor levels, construction methods and construction materials. Subject to the intended use of the resulting data, licensees may combine Environment Agency data with their own property type datasets to produce a dataset that meets their specific needs.
	The latest National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA 2006) data is available to insurers in a format which contains both address point references and spatial and postcode formats.

Waste Management

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans his Department has to work with the Department for Communities and Local Government on the implementation of the Waste Strategy for England 2007; and whether he will integrate  (a) small,  (b) medium and  (c) large-scale biological treatment facilities within this implementation.

Joan Ruddock: My Department has established a Waste Strategy Board to drive forward and monitor delivery of the Waste Strategy for England 2007 across Government. The board includes representatives from the other Government Departments with a key interest in waste, including Communities and Local Government (CLG), and we will be working closely with these Departments in implementing the strategy.
	My Department is also working with CLG to take forward specific aspects of the strategy, including planning for waste infrastructure, pollution control, waste aspects of the local government performance framework, and proposals to remove the ban on local authorities using financial incentives to increase recycling by households.
	The strategy sets out the measures that the Government have put in place to secure the investment in infrastructure needed to divert waste from landfill. It remains vital that regional spatial strategies and local development documents look forward and make adequate provision for the appropriate types and scales of infrastructure and waste treatment facilities needed, including biological treatment plants. It is also important for specific, suitable sites to be identified in plans.

Worklessness

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of trends in the level of worklessness among under 25 year olds since 1997.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave earlier to the hon. Members for Lichfield (Michael Fabricant) and Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mr. Crabb).

Crisis Loans

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the adequacy of telephoned-based systems for the delivery of crisis loans.

James Plaskitt: The modernisation of our telephone service has greatly improved access to crisis loans. It has resulted in a more efficient service for our customers, and provided more flexibility to meet call demand.

Departments: Junior Ministers

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total estimated annual cost is of  (a) expenses,  (b) salary,  (c) office space,  (d) administrative support and  (e) special advisers for the new parliamentary under-secretary of state in his Department.

Anne McGuire: The information requested would be available only at disproportionate costs. A list of special advisors by department and pay band will be published in due course. Details of ministerial salaries are available in the House Library and at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/other/parliamentary/pay/ministerial/index.asp

Occupational Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the number of occupational pension schemes in the UK which  (a) have completed wind-up and  (b) are in the process of winding up; what proportion began wind-up after 2 May 1997 in each case; and what his estimate is of the number of members of such schemes.

Mike O'Brien: The following information was provided by the pensions regulator.
	(a) The number of schemes in the UK that have wound up since 2 April 1997 is 62,814
	(b(i)) The number of schemes that have commenced, but not yet completed, winding up is 8,088 with a total membership of 427,456; and
	(b(ii)) The number of schemes that have been winding up since 2 May 1997 is 7,804. This is 96.5 per cent. of the schemes at (b(i)). The total membership of these schemes is 411,943. This is 96.4 per cent. of the membership at (b(i)).
	 Notes:
	1. A wound up scheme is one which has notified the pensions regulator that it has completed winding up procedures.
	2. A winding up scheme is one which has notified the pensions regulator that it has commenced winding up procedures.
	3. The data supplied by the pensions regulator is current as at 3 September 2007. It comes from the merger of data derived from old systems (i.e. before 6 April 2005), and has been enhanced and updated with information received via the new scheme returns—which were introduced as part of the Pensions Act 2004.
	4. Total membership includes active, deferred and pensioner members.

Pensions: Forecasts

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reason the Retirement Pension Forecasting Team is no longer able to provide forecasts of additional state pensions; when the situation will be resolved; and how many people he estimates will be affected.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 10 September 2007
	 The computer systems used to produce state pension forecasts are being updated to reflect the new state pension rules included within the Pensions Act 2007 and therefore the Pension Service retirement pension forecasting team is temporarily unable to provide a state pension forecast to people who reach state pension age on or after 6 April 2010. We aim to have the system changes in place by autumn 2008.
	People reaching state pension age after 2010 who contact the Pension Service retirement pension forecasting team will still be able to obtain personalised information including:
	an indication of the current number of qualifying years and how many more are needed to get a full basic state pension under the new rules; and
	details of how changes to the state pension rules may affect the individuals state pension position.
	This means people can still receive the help they need to plan for their retirement, and the vast majority of customers using these transitional arrangements have been happy with the service provided.
	People who reach state pension age before 6 April 2010 can continue to receive state pension forecasts from the retirement pension forecasting team. These forecasts include information on both basic and additional state pension.
	Approximately half of the people who use the forecasting "on request" (either online or by phone) service are affected by the current suspension. Based on previous requests for state pension forecasts in 2005-06 we estimate the suspension will impact 300,000 individuals.
	The combined pension forecasting service is also suspended until autumn 2008 and this affects approximately 4 million individuals.
	In the meantime the Pension Service are working closely with their IT suppliers to explore ways in which the timetable for reflecting state pension changes in state pension forecasting systems could be advanced.

Criminal Record Bureau

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the differences are between basic and enhanced Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks; and what guidance has been given to public authorities on which type of CRB check should be commissioned.

Meg Hillier: A basic disclosure is the lowest level of disclosure. This would contain details of convictions considered to be unspent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 or state that there are no such convictions. The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) do not currently provide a basic check.
	There are two levels of disclosures currently available from the CRB, known as standard and enhanced. The two checks are available in circumstances where an employer is entitled to ask exempted questions under the ROA. This includes any organisation whose staff or volunteers work with children or vulnerable adults.
	Standard disclosures are available to anyone working with children or vulnerable adults, as well as certain other occupations and entry into professions as specified in the ROA. They show spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held on the Police National Computer. If the post involves working with children or vulnerable adults, the following may also be searched:
	Protection of Children Act (POCA) List.
	Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) List.
	Information that is held under Section 142 of the Education Act 2002 (formerly known as List 99).
	Enhanced disclosures are available to anyone involved in regularly caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of children or vulnerable adults. They are also available for certain licensing purposes and judicial appointments. Enhanced disclosures contain the same information as the standard disclosure with the addition of any relevant information held by local police forces and disclosed at their discretion.
	It is ultimately for each employer and not the CRB to determine what level of check is required for specific employment positions. Such determination is based on their legal and other responsibilities and subject to any statutory requirements as set by their own regulatory authorities.

Police Stations

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police stations were closed in London in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The management of the police estates in London are operational matters for the Commissioners for the Metropolitan Police and the City of London Police.

Resettlement: Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response the Government has made to the representations of Amnesty International for the UK and US to provide resettlement programmes for Iraqis who have fled their homes since 2003.

Liam Byrne: The Government are aware that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Amnesty International has called for countries to resettle some Iraqi refugees in the region. The Border and Immigration Agency has started discussions with UNHCR regarding the feasibility of resettling some of the Iraqi refugees in the region to the UK. The UK's resettlement programme, the Gateway Protection Programme, currently resettles 500 refugees a year from across the world.

Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons it was decided to fingerprint visitors to Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre.

Jacqui Smith: Visitors to Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre are not finger printed. A new security system is being used which takes an electronic scan of a visitor's thumbprint and recognises a number of points on the thumb to enable the centre operator to maintain a record of who is in the visits room at any time. This ensures that only visitors leave at the end of a visit. The technology does not enable a finger print to be reproduced and the information on the system is not passed to either the Border and Immigration Agency or the Police. The thumbprint is not retained.

Departments: Departmental Coordination

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) ministerial committees and  (b) permanent groups involving senior civil servants have been set up by his Department to liaise with the Ministers for Women.

Maria Eagle: We have not set up any formal committees or permanent groups involving senior civil servants to liaise with the Minister for women. Although we work closely with the Government Equalities Office on a range of issues.

Departments: Legislation

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what legislative provisions introduced by his Department since 1997 have been repealed;
	(2)  what legislative provisions introduced by his Department since 1997 have not yet been brought into force.

Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) was launched on 9 May 2007 and took on all responsibilities of the former Department for Constitutional Affairs and for the National Offender Management Service and Office for Criminal Justice Reform from the Home Office. The information requested across my Department's entire legislative responsibilities and for the last ten years would necessitate considerable staff resource across the Department and so cannot be provided except at a disproportionate cost.

Fines: Compensation

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 20 April 2007,  Official Report, column 1453W, on fines: compensation, what representations he has received on the victims' surcharge since inception; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Representations have been received by the Home Office, the former Department for Constitutional Affairs, and the new Ministry of Justice, since the surcharge was brought into force on 1 April 2007 on offenders whose sentence included a fine. The following information is the total received to date and updates the information given by my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, East's (Bridget Prentice) letter of 15 August 2007 to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) and my written answer of 16 July,  Official Report, column 151W, a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House.
	Members of Parliament forwarded to the Government 72 letters and emails from members of the public about the surcharge. 45 of these were from people identifying themselves as magistrates. Of these, one magistrate sent letters to five different MPs, and two magistrates wrote jointly to four different MPs. The Government also received a petition signed by 48 magistrates from the Calderdale (North and West Yorkshire) Magistrates' Bench.
	The Government also received 13 letters directly from members of the public (eight of whom identified themselves as magistrates) and two letters from the Magistrates' Association.

Prisoners Release: Housing

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of prisoners discharged at the end of their sentence  (a) went into temporary accommodation and  (b) were of no fixed abode in the most recent period for which figures are available.

David Hanson: Data is currently collected on the percentage of prisoners who move on to settled accommodation on discharge from custody. Details of those in temporary or of no fixed abode are not collected. Between 1 April and 31 July 2007, 80.2 per cent. of discharged prisoners moved to settled accommodation.

Prisoners Release: Reoffenders

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the proportion of convicted criminals released through the early release scheme who go on to re-offend; what plans he has to review the operation of the early release scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The number of prisoners released under End of Custody Licence (ECL) conditions who have subsequently been recalled to prison for alleged re-offending in August is 30. This is based on those notifications to the National Offender Management Service received by the end of 21 September. The number of releases on ECL in August was 2,493.
	These figures were published on the Ministry of Justice website on 28 September 2007.
	ECL was introduced as a temporary measure and we will keep under review the length of time it will remain in use in the light of new prison capacity coming on stream and the review by Lord Carter. So far the data collected about ECL indicates that the scheme is working well.

Prisoners: Drugs

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many prisoners received regular methadone in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many prisoners received prescribed Bupranorhine in the last 12 months;
	(3)  how many prisoners received prescribed Natraxone in the last 12 months.

David Hanson: This information is not held centrally in the form requested.
	Since April 2007, the Department has collected information on regular opioid prescriptions. These will predominately be methadone treatments, but may also include buprenorphine. Prisons reported 4,458 such treatments from April to July 2007.

Public Order Offences

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 4 June 2007,  Official Report, column 267W, on public order offences, what data is available on the number of penalty notices for disorder issued in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007, broken down by (i) offence and (ii) police force area.

David Hanson: Information on the number of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) issued in 2006, broken down as requested will be available in November, when the data is published.

Robbery: Sentencing

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage of convictions for robberies of personal property resulted in  (a) custodial and  (b) community sentences in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2006.

Bridget Prentice: It is not possible to identify the number of convictions for personal robbery as court proceedings data does not differentiate between personal and commercial robberies.
	The following table shows the number of convictions for "Robbery" in England and Wales in 1997 and 2005, as well as the number and percentage of community sentences and custodial sentences.
	2006 data will be available in November 2007.
	
		
			  Number of defendants found guilty and sentenced for robbery with sentence breakdowns and percentages: England and Wales: 1997 and 2005( 1, 2) 
			  Of those sentenced  1997  2005 
			 Found guilty 5,589 7,083 
			 Sentenced 5,597 7,139 
			
			 Community sentence 1,307 2,539 
			 Percentage 23 36 
			
			 Immediate custody 4,008 4,407 
			 Percentage 72 62 
			 (1) Data provided on the principal offence basis (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Source:  Court proceedings database—Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice

Supreme Court

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the costs of  (a) setting up and  (b) operating a supreme court; and what estimate he has made of the cost of continuing the appellate function of the House of Lords.

Maria Eagle: As announced on 14 June 2007 the estimated running costs of the UK Supreme Court is £12.3 million per annum at 2010-11 prices. The annual running cost includes a rental figure of £2.1 million per annum, increasing at a rate of 2.5 per cent. per annum. The rental figure covers the cost of the renovation and will be paid to Kier Group over a 30-year period.
	There are additional set up costs of £5.9 million for the Ministry of Justice programme team over the five years of the implementation programme and £14.3 million for items such as Ministry of Justice professional adviser fees and the non-capital element of the fit-out costs including loose furniture, IT and library books.
	As previously announced the running costs of the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords were estimated at £3.2 million per annum at 2004 prices. This figure excludes building and services costs as it is not possible to extract these specific sums from the overall running costs of the House of Lords.

Child Benefit: Overseas Residence

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 365W, on child benefit: overseas residence, for what reason his Department does not hold information on the amount of child benefit and child tax credit paid in respect of children living abroad.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC collect and publish a great deal of information on tax credits and child benefit and this is available on their website. The data collected and published is kept under review to ensure that the most helpful information is made available wherever possible.

Child Trust Fund

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the cost to the public purse of the Child Trust Fund in each year from 2007-08 to 2020-21 for which an estimate exists; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: The information is as follows:
	AME accruals—I refer the hon. Member to the reply he received from the Economic Secretary to the Treasury on 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 542W, and to the reply he received from the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on 17 October 2006,  Official Report, column 1112W.
	Administration costs—I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 25 January 2006,  Official Report, column 2214W, to the hon. Member for Leeds, North-West (Greg Mulholland). Updated figures will be published later this year.

Departments: Departmental Reorganisation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 4 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1066W, on Departments: departmental reorganisation, what account his Department takes of the Information Commissioner's guidance that no internal review should take longer than 40 days; and how many requests for internal review have exceeded this deadline.

Angela Eagle: The Department strives to follow best practice guidance in regard to FOI handling including internal reviews. The Treasury has robust systems to ensure a thorough and independent assessment of the original decision.

Departments: Legislation

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2007,  Official Report, column 440W, on Departments: legislation, which parts of the 60 Acts have not been brought into force.

Angela Eagle: The information, in relation to Acts other than Finance Acts, is in the table. Since 16 July 2007 one further Act has received Royal Assent, but is not yet in force (the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007).
	In relation to the Finance Acts, this information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Act  Provisions not yet in force 
			 Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 Section 104 in relation to banking business transfer schemes 
			   
			 Government Resource and Accounts Act 2000 Section 11 
			  Sections 12 and 13 in relation to Wales 
			  Part of paragraph 24 of Schedule 1 (relating to provisions inserted in the Government of Wales Act 1998) 
			   
			 Tax Credits Act 2002 Sections 1(1) and 1(2) (otherwise than for the purposes of Part 3 in respect of tax credits) 
			  Sections 25(1), 25(2) (otherwise than for the purpose of making regulations) 
			  Sections 25(6), 25(7) (otherwise than for the purpose of making regulations) (repealed)

Departments: Visits Abroad

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost was of visits abroad by staff in his Department and its agencies in 2006-07.

Angela Eagle: For details of spending on overseas visits in 2006-07 by staff and Ministers of HM Treasury I refer to the answer given by hon. Friend the then Financial Secretary (John Healey) to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 25 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1186W. Information on spending on overseas visits is not separately identified in the accounting systems of National Savings and Investments or the Valuation Office Agency and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Details of spending by the other Departments and agencies is as follows:
	
		
			  2006-07 
			  Department/agency  £000 
			 Debt Management Office 17 
			 Office of Government Commerce 75 
			 OGCbuying.solutions 4 
			 Royal Mint 316 
			 Office for National Statistics 418 
			 Government Actuary's Department 71 
			 HM Revenue and Customs 1,949 
		
	
	Since 1999, the Government have published on an annual basis a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500, as well as the total cost of all ministerial travel overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the "Civil Service Management Code" and the "Ministerial Code".

Environmental Trusts

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to facilitate the release of monies deposited in Environmental Trust accounts originally earmarked under Entrust's categories C and CC for education and research;
	(2)  what total amount derived from landfill tax revenues is held in the largest 12 environmental trust accounts;
	(3)  what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) is taking to make the bank accounts of environmental trusts which receive landfill tax monies more accountable;
	(4)  how much remains unspent in Environmental Trust bank accounts unable to be released due to the withdrawal of the education and research C and CC categories.

Angela Eagle: Any contributions made before 1 April 2003 for spending on sustainable waste management (object c and cc) projects that had a written agreement in place committing those funds to a specific project prior to 1 April 2007 can still be spent on that project. If there was not a written agreement in place by 1 April 2007, the funds should be released for spending on other qualifying objects.
	This policy has been clearly communicated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Entrust to site operators and environmental bodies respectively.
	Information provided by environmental bodies on their most recently submitted returns shows that the largest 12 environmental bodies held a total of approximately £97 million in their bank accounts at the end of the period in relation to contributions made under the Landfill Communities Fund. Environmental bodies must report to Entrust the amount of money held in their bank accounts relating to contributions made to them under the Landfill Communities Fund. Entrust verifies this information, according to risk, as part of its audit function. Entrust also provides quarterly reports to HMRC of contributions made and spent. HMRC keep a keen interest in the relationship between money contributed and spent.

HM Revenue and Customs: Correspondence

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why HM Revenue and Customs has not replied to the letter of 6 June from the hon. Member for Aylesbury on the case of Mr. P. J. E. of Aylesbury concerning tax credit claims for his disabled son and daughter-in-law; and when HM Revenue and Customs expects to reply.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 12 September 2007
	The hon. Member's constituent's tax credit award is affected by the administrative problem with certain claims-as detailed in my written statement of 25 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 62-63WS.
	HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are in the process of writing to those claimants whose awards are affected. An HMRC official at the tax credit office telephoned the hon. Member's parliamentary office on 4 September 2007 with an update and an interim reply was issued on 14 September 2007.

Housing: Valuation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the presence of double or treble glazing in a domestic dwelling may affect its capital valuation for valuation purposes by the Valuation Office Agency.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the then Minister for Local Government to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 504W, which sets out the position in respect of valuations carried out by the Valuation Office Agency for council tax purposes. For other capital valuations, the effect will depend upon the facts and circumstances of each case.

Public Sector: Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 393W, on public sector pensions, when he will publish his latest estimate of the total liabilities of unfunded public service pension schemes as at 31 March 2006.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer the former Chief Secretary (Mr. Timms) gave on 25 June 2007,  Official Report, column 393W.
	A new estimate will be published in the autumn.

Smuggling: Tobacco

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what proportion of HM Revenue and Customs cigarette seizures were of  (a) counterfeit cigarettes and  (b) contraband cigarettes, in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many  (a) counterfeit and  (b) contraband cigarette seizures there were of (i) 0-250,000, (ii) 250,001-500,000, (iii) 500,001-750,000, (iv) 750,001-1,000,000, (v) 1,000,001-2,000,000, (vi) 2,000,001-3,000,000, (vii) 3,000,001-4,000,000, (viii) 4,000,001-5,000,000, (ix) 5,000,001-6,000,000 and (x) 6,000,001 or more cigarettes in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: The latest HM Revenue & Custom's (HMRC's) Annual Report, available on the HMRC website: www.hmrc.gov.uk covering the period 2001-02 to 2005-06, indicates that HMRC has seized more than 12 billion cigarettes since the Tackling Tobacco Smuggling Strategy was launched in 2000. Prior to 2002, HMRC did not estimate the proportion of counterfeit cigarettes seized.
	From 2002 to 2004, data on seizures of cigarettes in quantities above 500,000 sticks, and from 2004, data on seizures in quantities above 250,000 sticks, are published in HMRC Annual Reports. No further breakdown of this information is available.

Smuggling: Tobacco

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much hand-rolled tobacco bound for the UK was seized overseas by HM Revenue and Customs overseas officers and their host agencies in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Figures for the amount of hand-rolling tobacco (HRT) seized overseas have not been routinely compiled and published to date. Most seizures of illicit shipments of HRT take place in he UK as the criminal activity normally involves the smuggling of product which has been purchased duty-paid in other member states. These seizure statistics are published in HM Revenue and Custom's annual reports—available on the HMRC website:
	www.hmrc.gov.uk
	The last report contains details of such seizures from financial years 2001-02 to 2005-06, and indicates that more than 1,150 tonnes of HRT have been seized since the Tackling Tobacco Smuggling Strategy was launched.

Stamp Duties

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the timetable is for the introduction of the zero rate of stamp duty for zero carbon homes;
	(2)  what records  (a) his Department,  (b) HM Revenue and Customs and  (c) the Valuation Office Agency will collate on the number of house sale transactions that received the zero rate of stamp duty on zero carbon homes;
	(3)  what his Department's definition of a zero carbon residential dwelling is for the purposes of stamp duty.

Kitty Ussher: The draft regulations, which set out (among other matters) the definition of a new zero-carbon home for stamp duty land tax purposes, were circulated to the Standing Committee on the Finance Bill in May. The Treasury consulted interested stakeholders on these draft regulations in June and July. It is intended that draft regulations will be laid before Parliament in October under the affirmative procedure with a view to being approved by the House of Commons coming into force.
	It is proposed that the tax relief will apply retrospectively to acquisitions of homes that met the criteria occurring from 1 October 2007, in line with the Government's Budget commitment.
	The tax relief will be claimed using the stamp duty land tax return, which will contain a specific code for this tax relief. HM Revenue and Customs will therefore be able to monitor the number of claims for tax relief and the amount of relief given. HM Treasury will have access to this data in an aggregated form. The Valuation Office Agency has no plans to collate information in respect of the relief.

Valuation Office: Vetting

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether staff of the Valuation Office Agency who undertake inspections of domestic dwellings for council tax valuation purposes are required to have  (a) basic and  (b) enhanced Criminal Records Bureau checks.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the written answer that the former Paymaster General (Dawn Primarolo) gave the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 6 February 2006,  Official Report, columns 1036-37W.
	Since April 2007, one in five of new staff has been subject to basic criminal record bureau checks in line with the HM Government baseline personnel security standards.

Cuba: Political Prisoners

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the number of political prisoners in Cuba.

Meg Munn: It is difficult to estimate the number of political prisoners in Cuba as the Cuban government maintains tight control over such information. However, Amnesty International's 2007 report identifies at least 69 "prisoners of conscience" in Cuba and they are currently reviewing the cases of dozens of other prisoners who could also be considered prisoners of conscience see:
	http://thereport.amnesty.org/eng/Regions/Americas/Cuba.
	In a report dated 5 July 2007, the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation (CCHRNR—a standard non-official source of human rights information in Cuba) documented 246 political prisoners. The CCHRNR has also reported that thousands of young Cubans are imprisoned on the charge of "peligrosidad predelictiva", which means they have not committed a crime but are considered likely to do so. More information on the human rights situation in Cuba can be found in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's 2006 Annual Human Rights Report at:
	www.fco.gov.uk/humanrights.

Cuba: Politics and Government

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the prospect of democratic transition in Cuba.

Meg Munn: Last year's changes in the leadership in Cuba have not, so far, led to evidence of significant change in Cuban government policy. UK policy continues to follow the 1996 EU Common Position, which aims to encourage a process of peaceful transition to pluralist democracy and respect for human rights in Cuba. As part of this policy, the UK/EU also continues to pursue constructive engagement with both the Cuban government and all other sectors of Cuban society, including members of the opposition.
	We remain concerned about the political situation in Cuba, which is a one-party state with considerable restrictions on fundamental human rights. We continue to press the Cuban authorities to respect these human rights, including political freedoms.

Cuba: Politics and Government

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Cuba about  (a) the release of political prisoners,  (b) freedom of speech and  (c) freedom of political expression.

Meg Munn: On 30 April 2007, my right. hon. Friend the then Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, Ian McCartney, expressed concern about political prisoners and other human rights issues during a meeting with Cuban Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade Antonio Carricarte. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office raises human rights issues—including the release of political prisoners, freedom of speech and freedom of political expression—on a regular basis with the Cuban government.

EC Reform: Treaties

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes from unanimity to other forms of decision-making would be enacted by the existing text of the proposed EU Reform Treaty.

David Miliband: holding answer 17 September 2007
	 I refer the right hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe (Mr. Murphy) gave to the hon. Member for Shipley (Philip Davies) on 26 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 1468-69W.

Hina Jilani

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage Indonesia to allow  (a) foreign journalists,  (b) independent observers and  (c) NGOs into West Papua.

Meg Munn: Officials at our Embassy in Jakarta visit Papua regularly and meet local officials, academics, journalists and non-governmental organisation (NGOs). We continue to encourage the Indonesian government to allow access to Papua for media organisations. We are aware that the BBC correspondent based in Jakarta was given permission to visit Papua in September. We will continue to press the authorities to permit other journalists to visit.
	Hina Jilani, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders was given permission to visit Papua in June. Access to Papua for developmental NGOs has improved significantly since the election of Governor Suebu in 2006 and a number of international NGOs and UN agencies have established representative offices in Jayapura.

Indonesia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he and other Ministers from his Department have to visit Indonesia.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no plans to visit Indonesia in the immediate future. I am considering making a visit to the region as part of my ministerial duties. My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Kim Howells, visited in April and Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials regularly visit Indonesia. The bilateral relationship between the UK and Indonesia is good, with strong political links. We work closely with the Indonesian Government on key areas of shared concern including counter terrorism, climate change and inter-faith.

Iraq Constitution

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what help the UK Government are providing to secure the delivery of Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution.

Kim Howells: Implementation of Article 140 is a matter for the government of Iraq. We continue to encourage the Iraqi and Kurdish regional authorities to ensure that the Article 140 process is fair and transparent and reflects, so far as is possible, the views of each of the different communities involved.

Maldives: Politics and Government

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the discussions with President Gayoom of the Maldives during his recent visit to the UK covered  (a) charges brought against members of the opposition and  (b) the use of state resources and media for President Gayoom's party's campaign for the referendum.

Kim Howells: My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, met President Gayoom at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on 20 July. They discussed the economic and political situation in Maldives, but did not cover the specific issues raised by the hon. Member. Lord Malloch-Brown issued a statement following the meeting calling for free and fair elections and successful conduct of the referendum which is available on the FCO website at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391629&a=KArticle&aid=1184751833263&year=2007&month=2007-07-01

Maldives: Politics and Government

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the progress made by the government of the Maldives in reforming the judiciary since the visit of UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers in February 2007.

Kim Howells: Judicial reform is an important part of the reform process in Maldives. The Maldivian government has stated publicly that they are drafting secondary legislation on the regulation of the judicial sector. This will need to be compatible with new draft constitutional provisions. We understand that the UN Development Programme is funding an international consultant whose role is to provide technical assistance to the Maldivian government for this purpose.

Maldives: Referendums

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy for the UK or the EU to send international observers to the referendum to be held in the Maldives on 18 August.

Kim Howells: At short notice, the Maldivian government invited the EU, Commonwealth and the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation to observe the referendum. The EU and Commonwealth were unable to send formal observer missions, although the Commonwealth did send a small Election Experts Team. Officials from our High Commission in Colombo, accredited to Maldives, visited the country on polling day and met key stakeholders.

Palestinians: Entry Clearances

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many entry clearance applications have been received from Palestinian citizens residing in  (a) east Jerusalem,  (b) the west bank and  (c) the Gaza strip in the last 12 months; and what percentage of these applications were approved.

Kim Howells: Our consulate general in Jerusalem processes entry clearance applications from residents of east Jerusalem, Gaza and the west bank.
	Between 1 October 2006 and 1 October 2007 the consulate general received 1,075 applications for entry clearance from holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents living in the west bank and Gaza. 880 of these applications were issued and 154 were refused. 41 applications were either withdrawn, lapsed or are in progress. To collate statistics on whether applicants are resident in the west bank or Gaza would incur disproportionate cost as details of applicants' residency are not recorded centrally.
	Palestinian residents of east Jerusalem do not hold Palestinian Authority travel documents. They may apply for entry clearance using a Jordanian T Series document or an Israeli issued Laissez Passer.
	There were 543 applications from holders of Jordanian T Series documents, Jordanian passports and holders of Israeli issued Laissez Passers, which show the nationality as Jordanian. To determine which ones are from Palestinians resident in east Jerusalem would incur disproportionate cost.

Palestinians: Entry Clearances

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons entry visas were not granted to the Palestine under-19 football squad and its support staff; and what representations he has received on the matter.

Kim Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Meg Munn, to my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Harry Cohen) on 10 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2008W.
	A total of 262 letters had been received up to and including 3 October on this matter.

Timor-Leste: Extradition

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with Indonesian officials on the extradition to East Timor of Col. Burhanuddin Siagian.

Meg Munn: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with Indonesian officials on the extradition to East Timor of Indonesian Colonel Burhanuddin Siagian. We believe that this is a matter for consideration between the Indonesian and East Timorese governments.
	The UK has consistently expressed concern to both the Indonesian and East Timorese governments about impunity for those responsible for human rights abuses in East Timor. These issues are pursued through their bilateral Commission for Truth and Friendship (CTF). We have encouraged both governments to make the CTF a process that enjoys the confidence of the victims and the international community.

Visa Facilitation Services

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether disciplinary action has been taken against members of staff at UK Visas following the report of the Independent Investigator into breaches of data security in the Visa Facilitation Services online visa application facility; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has accepted all of the recommendations made by the independent investigator in her report into the data breach at the Visa Facilitation Services online visa application facility. None recommended disciplinary action against UKvisas staff.

Congenital Abnormalities

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effect on children's (i) brains and (ii) development of (A) prematurity, (B) foetal alcohol spectrum disorder and (C) fragile x syndrome.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department funds research to support policy and to provide the evidence needed to underpin quality improvement and service development in the national health service and through its Policy Research Programme supports a programme of research at the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU) on the health of pregnant women and their babies. This includes research relating to cerebral palsy and other early childhood impairment where prematurity is the single largest risk factor. With additional support from other funders, NPEU is also undertaking work which relates to neurodevelopmental follow-up of groups of children recruited to trials of specific interventions, where either all or the majority of the recruited children were preterm.
	Implementation of the Department's research strategy "Best Research for Best Health" has resulted in an expansion of our research programmes and in significant new funding opportunities for health research. In particular, the major focus of the neonatal medicine research group at the Hammersmith and St. Mary's and Imperial College Biomedical Research Centre, formed this year, is the prevention and treatment of brain injury and developmental impairment in the newborn infant, both as a result of prematurity and birth asphyxia. The Department has allocated £7 million over five years to the research theme of which the Centre's work forms a part.
	The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. In 2005-06, MRC expenditure on research related to premature birth amounted to £4 million. In addition, the MRC supports a large portfolio of reproductive tract research and underpinning reproductive medicine and paediatric research.
	More specifically, the MRC is currently funding a research project on Fragile X syndrome that aims to provide fundamental insights into the cellular mechanisms through which cognitive symptoms of the syndrome arise and that may be important for discovery of new therapies for mental retardation.

Dental Services: Bolton

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the availability of NHS dentists in Bolton.

Ann Keen: There have been six parliamentary questions from the Members for Bolton, North-East and Bolton, South-East on dental services in Bolton. In addition, there have been a small number of letters from members of the public.

Departments: Pay

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2007,  Official Report, column 1552W, on Departments: pay, 
	(1)  how many  (a) civil servants are on each payscale and  (b) consultants are on each banding within the Department's Commercial Directorate;
	(2)  whether the commercial directorate contractor bandings refer to rate  (a) per hour,  (b) per day,  (c) per week,  (d) per month or  (e) per annum.

Dawn Primarolo: The Commercial Directorate contracts interims for a specified piece of work or time period. The bandings are an internal control tool created by and used solely by the Commercial Directorate and refer to day rates. The number of interims (headcount) by bandings in the Commercial Directorate at 1 October 2007 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Band 1 6 
			 Band 2 17 
			 Band 3 67 
			 Band 4 68 
			 Band 5 24 
			 Total 182 
		
	
	The number of civil servants (full-time equivalent) in the Commercial Directorate at 1 October 2007 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number 
			 SCS3 1 
			 SCS1 1 
			 Grade 6 1 
			 Grade 7 2 
			 SEO 1.7 
			 EO 1 
			 Total 7.7

Health Services: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what sampling techniques were used in compiling statistical information on the health needs of Bedfordshire and Luton when allocating funds for  (a) Bedfordshire Primary Care Trust and  (b) Luton Primary Care Trust; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Funding is allocated to primary care trusts (PCTs) on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to determine PCTs' target shares of available resources, to enable them to commission similar levels of health services for populations in similar need.
	The Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA) oversees the development of the weighted-capitation formula. ACRA is an independent body which has national health service management, general practitioner, and academic members. It commissions research to measure the health needs of PCTs.
	The health need element of the formula, which informs the revenue allocations to PCTs in 2006-07 and 2007-08, was based upon research carried out by the allocation of resources to English areas (AREA) research team in 2001-02 and by Warwick university. The AREA research modelled need for all areas in England, and as a result a national formula was developed. A detailed description of the research techniques and the formula are published on the Department's website(1, 2) at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/allocations
	Generally, the data used in this research were based on full population datasets (for example, the National Census). Statistical sampling was not required in those cases. The significant exception was the Health Survey for England (HSE). HSE data for 1994-2000 inclusive were used and this provided a national sample size of 122,488. More details of the techniques used are provided in the document listed at point 2 as follows.
	(1) "Resource Allocation: Weighted Capitation Formula: Fifth edition" (Department of Health).
	(2) Allocation of Resources to English Areas; Individual and small area determinants of morbidity and use of healthcare resources (Button M, Gravelle H, Morris S, Leyland A, Windmeijer F, Dibben C, Muirhead M) Report to the Department of Health. Edinburgh: Information and Statistics Division, 2002.

Health Services: East Midlands

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what contact his Department has had with  (a) the East Midlands Strategic Health Authority (SHA),  (b) primary care trusts within the East Midlands SHA area,  (c) NHS hospital trusts, foundation trusts and mental health trusts within the East Midlands SHA area and  (d) right hon. and hon. Members on the effects of immigration into the region, NHS services and budgets; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what contact his Department has had with  (a) the East of England Strategic Health Authority (SHA),  (b) primary care trusts within the East of England SHA area,  (c) NHS hospital trusts, foundation trusts and mental health trusts within the SHA area and  (d) right hon. and hon. Members on the effects of immigration into the region on NHS services and budgets; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Ministers have regular meetings with hon. Member's and other stakeholders about health services in England. There is also a regular flow of correspondence from across the country including the East of England and East Midlands areas.
	The Department is supporting local national health service organisations engage within regional strategic migration partnerships which provide a single multi-sector, multi agency forum to consider the impacts of migration as they affect regional areas. Funding of £20,000 is available in both 2007-08 and 2008-09 to help with co-ordination arrangements.
	Discussions are shortly to start with the East Midlands Government Office and the Local Government East Midlands about this. Also, this work is being taken forward in partnership with the East of England Regional Assembly, the East of England Government Office and Suffolk primary care trust.

Hospitals: Ministers of Religion

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 18th July 2007,  Official Report, column 456W, on hospitals: ministers of religion, what guidance he has issued on the responsibilities of NHS trusts to provide for the spiritual care of patients; and when budgetary control was devolved to NHS trusts in relation to these matters.

Ann Keen: The Department issued guidance to national health service trusts in November 2003. "Meeting the Religious and Spiritual Needs of Patients and Staff" sets out a framework for the context and provision of chaplaincy and spiritual care services throughout the NHS that meet the needs of today's multi-cultural and spiritually diverse society.
	NHS organisations have always been responsible for the provision of chaplaincy and spiritual care services. Funding for this is built into financial allocations to primary care trust, who commission hospital services on behalf of patients. "Shifting the Balance of Power", published in 2002, empowered NHS trusts to give front line staff more say in how resources are allocated and services are delivered locally.

Influenza: Vaccination

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 24 July 2007,  Official Report, columns 982-3W, on influenza: vaccination, what form the ongoing programme of public engagement will take; whether criteria determining the priority in which different groups of people are offered  (a) vaccines,  (b) antivirals and  (c) other clinical interventions will be subjected to formal consultation; how often he expects these criteria to be reviewed; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Work continues on the design of a public engagement programme in accordance with the timetable set out in the previous written answer.
	Between March and May 2007 the Government consulted on the draft 'Ethical framework for the response to pandemic influenza', which provides an ethical framework for policy and planning decisions relating to pandemic influenza, including the prioritisation of clinical countermeasures. The final version of this document will be published with the final 'National Framework for responding to an influenza pandemic' in the autumn. While the ethical principles underlying issues such as prioritisation can be considered in advance, their implications would have to be reviewed in light of emerging scientific developments and/or other information available at the time of a pandemic.

Meningitis: Vaccination

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the take-up rate of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine Prevenar has been since 4 September 2006;
	(2)  what studies have been commissioned into the effectiveness of Prevenar since 4 September 2006.

Dawn Primarolo: Data on the pneumococcal vaccine uptake for children is currently being collected on behalf of the Department by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), and no robust analysis is available yet. Preliminary data from just over half of primary care trusts in England suggested that over 60 per cent. of children targeted in the catch-up campaign had received the vaccine. We do not yet know the level of uptake of the vaccine given as part of the routine childhood immunisation programme.
	The impact of the vaccine has been very significant, with the number of cases of invasive pneumococcal disease in children, caused by any one of the seven serotypes contained in the vaccine, falling since the introduction of the new vaccine a year ago. The latest data are available on the HPA website at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/pneumococcal/default.htm

NHS Treatment Centres: Essex

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the establishment of an Independent Treatment Centre in Mid Essex; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department is working with the national health service to review the specifications of the remaining schemes in Phase 2 of the central procurement process, including the proposed scheme for Essex, to ensure that future schemes best meet the needs of the local NHS, and are responsive to the needs of the communities in which they will operate. This exercise is ongoing, and expected to be completed in October. Once this process is complete, and all parties involved in negotiations have been informed of the outcomes, further information will be made available.

Patients: Foreigners

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of patients treated by the NHS in each year since 2003 were foreign nationals resident in the UK.

Dawn Primarolo: Successive governments have not required the national health service to provide statistics on the numbers of foreign nationals who are treated by the NHS, including those who are resident in the United Kingdom. It is therefore not possible to provide the information requested.

Transplant Surgery: Manpower

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many surgeons in the NHS were capable of carrying out transplant surgery in each of the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: Transplant surgery is a sub-specialty of general surgery; the Information Centre for Health and Social Care do not collect information by sub-specialty.
	The 2006 NHS workforce census showed there were 1,756 consultants working in the general surgery speciality, an increase of 578 or 49 per cent. since 1997.

Betting

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of the Gambling Act 2005 on bookmakers' oncourse pitch positions; what recent discussions he has had with the Racecourse Association on this topic; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: As I indicated during the Westminster Hall debate on this subject on 4 July 2007,  Official Report , columns 237-60WH, and subsequently when I wrote on 25 July to hon. Members with an interest in this matter, the Government do not accept that the Gambling Act 2005 has had a direct effect on bookmakers' on-course pitch positions. No property has changed hands under the Act itself, nor does the Act abolish the National Pitch Rules or the National Joint Pitch Council. It remains open for racecourses, individually or collectively, to use the next five years to negotiate a commercial arrangement which is satisfactory to both sides.
	I have had no discussions with the Racecourse Association on this topic, but intend to meet the Association and on-course bookmakers' representatives shortly.

Digital Broadcasting: Sight Impaired

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representation he has received from Portset on digital switchover and assistance for blind people to access teletext services.

James Purnell: I have received no representations from Portset, who manufacture Talking Teletext equipment that translates written teletext into audible speech.

Gambling Commission

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the running costs of the Gambling Commission are in 2007-08; and how many staff are employed at the Commission.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 4 October 2007
	For 2007-08 the total running costs of the Gambling Commission are budgeted at £15.5 million. Currently the commission has 248 employees, but this is expected to fall to a steady state of around 200 by April 2008.

Information Officers: Historic Royal Palaces

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many press officers are employed by the Historic Royal Palaces.

Margaret Hodge: Historic Royal Palaces has one senior press officer, two public relations managers and a Head of Communications. They are all full-time and, in addition to their duties liaising with the press, these officers deal with both public enquiries and media enquiries, such as those concerned with filming at the Palaces.

Computers: Waste Disposal

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make a statement on the guidance issued to government departments on the steps to be taken to dispose of redundant information technology equipment.

Malcolm Wicks: The guidance on the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations which was published in February 2007, contained advice for both business and domestic users on the disposal of redundant equipment. Further advice specifically for government procurement officers is to issue shortly.

Departments: Departmental Coordination

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what  (a) ministerial committees and  (b) permanent groups involving senior civil servants have been set up by his Department to liaise with the Ministers for Women.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 12 September 2007
	The Prime Minister announced the new Cabinet Committee structure on 23 July 2007. The Domestic Affairs (Communities and Equalities) Committee, chaired by the Minister for the Cabinet Office, was one of the new Committees. The terms of reference for DA(CE) are:
	"To consider policy relating to community issues, including community cohesion, equalities, wellbeing and public health; and report as necessary to the Committee on Domestic Affairs and the Committee on National Security, International Relations and Development".
	This Department has not set up any committees or permanent groups involving senior civil servants specifically to liaise with the Ministers for Women.
	As with all cross cutting issues, Ministers and officials in this Department liaise with the Ministers for Women as necessary.

Gas Distribution Price Control Review

Jon Cruddas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what information Ofgem took into account on the customer satisfaction performance indicators for the gas distribution networks in compiling its initial proposals for the Gas Distribution Price Control Review for 2008 to 2013; what steps Ofgem took to assess the implications of its proposals for the service provided to customers prior to their publication; and what factors Ofgem took into account in assessing the implications of its proposals for customer satisfaction;
	(2)  what factors Ofgem took into account in assessing the safety implications of its proposals prior to developing its initial proposals for the Gas Distribution Price Control Review for 2008 to 2013;
	(3)  what factors Ofgem took into account on the safety performance indicators for the gas distribution networks in compiling its initial proposals for the Gas Distribution Price Control Review for 2008 to 2013.

Stephen Timms: The Gas Distribution Price Control Review is a matter for Ofgem. I am therefore asking the chief executive of the Gas and Electricity Markets, which heads Ofgem to write directly to the hon. Member.

Oil: Prices

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the average price of oil was in each of the last 15 years; and what assessment he has made of the effect of trends in oil prices on business.

Patrick McFadden: Oil is a globally traded commodity and the rise in oil prices over recent years has affected all countries, not just the UK. Moreover, while the Government recognise that in recent years higher and more volatile oil prices have created problems for UK businesses, by increasing production costs and adding pressure to profit margins, several factors have helped limit the impact. Firstly, in real terms (current prices), oil prices have remained below the peak levels reached in the late-1970s and early 1980s. Secondly, the rise in oil prices has in part been driven by strong global economic growth. Thirdly, UK businesses typically now have a lower intensity to use oil, given improvements in energy efficiency and the shift in the structure of the economy towards services. Finally, developments in financial markets have allowed businesses to hedge against the risks associated with fluctuations in oil prices more effectively.
	The 2007 Energy White Paper (http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/whitepaper/) sets out the measures the Government are putting in place to help improve the functioning of the global oil market, and to ensure that the UK's domestic market framework and supply infrastructure continue to deliver reliable supplies of oil-based energy supplies at competitive prices, as they have done so over the last 15 years.
	
		
			  Average price of oil acquired by UK refineries in nominal ($/bbl and £/bbl) and real  (£/bbl) prices 
			   Nominal prices $/bbl  Nominal prices £/bbl  Real 2006 prices £/bbl 
			 1992 19.5 10.9 15.4 
			 1993 17.1 11.4 15.6 
			 1994 15.8 10.3 14.1 
			 1995 17.3 11.0 14.5 
			 1996 21.0 13.4 17.2 
			 1997 19.3 11.8 14.7 
			 1998 12.8 7.7 9.3 
			 1999 17.9 11.0 13.1 
			 2000 28.6 18.9 22.1 
			 2001 24.5 17.0 19.4 
			 2002 24.7 16.4 18.2 
			 2003 29.1 17.8 19.1 
			 2004 37.8 20.6 21.6 
			 2005 53.8 29.7 30.4 
			 2006 64.7 35.2 35.2 
			 YTD 2007 65.5 33.0 — 
			  Notes: 1. Prices for supplies received by refineries in the UK from both indigenous and imported sources. 2. Real 2006 prices calculated using the GDP deflator.  Source:  BERR

Oil: Reserves

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2007,  Official Report, column 658W, on oil: reserves, how many years of oil supply the Government has estimated are available to  (a) the international community and  (b) the UK in the forthcoming (i) five, (ii) 10, (iii) 15 and (iv) more than 15 years at present rates of usage.

Patrick McFadden: The Department's view is that global oil resources are sufficient to sustain not only current rates of global usage but also the expected increase in usage for the foreseeable future. Supplies will be made available to the international community and the UK through the market mechanism, with the exact level depending on the complex interaction of a number of factors, including technological developments, economic growth, the policies of governments, and relative energy prices.

Oil: Reserves

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2007,  Official Report, column 658W, on oil: reserves, what assessment he has made of the affordability of oil supplies to the UK in the next  (a) five,  (b) 10 and  (c) 15 years.

Patrick McFadden: Global oil market tightness is expected to ease slightly over the next few years as new production and refining capacity is brought on-stream. However, given the complexity of contributory factors, the implications for international oil prices is uncertain. However, most analysts do not expect oil prices to make a sustained return to the average levels seen during the 1990s (around US$25 per barrel in today's prices), reflecting an expected increase in the market share of a relatively small number of producers, strong demand growth from developing countries, investment constraints, and a rise in marginal production costs outside OPEC.

One Northeast Communications Team: Information Officers

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many press officers are employed by the One Northeast Communications Team.

Stephen Timms: Five

Post Offices

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether those served by outreach post offices and non-commercial post office outlets will count as part of the 90 per cent. of the population to be within one mile of their nearest post office outlet in the access criteria set by Post Office Ltd.

Patrick McFadden: In measuring compliance with the access criterion that 90 per cent. of the UK population be within 1 mile of their nearest post office outlet, proximity to all categories of post office including outreach sites will be taken into account.

Post Offices

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether Post Office Ltd is considering the use of church premises for new post offices to replace some of the post offices that are to be closed in rural communities.

Patrick McFadden: Post Office Ltd will consider any premises which are suitably located and accessible as prospective sites in areas where new or Outreach post offices are to be established.

Post Offices: Disadvantaged

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions his Department  (a) has had and  (b) plans to have with (i) RNIB, (ii) RNID, (iii) Age Concern and (iv) Help the Aged on the implications of the transfer of Crown post office services to WH Smith branches for people with disabilities.

Patrick McFadden: The Department has held no such discussions. Under the Code of Practice agreed with Postwatch, Post Office Ltd. consults with a range of local representatives on the customer service implications of transferring the management of a specific Crown office to a franchise partner. In addition, Postwatch have a statutory duty to protect, promote and develop the interests of all customers of postal services in the UK and have a special duty to represent vulnerable groups including the elderly and disabled. Postwatch therefore meets regularly with groups such as Help the Aged, RNIB, Age Concern etc. to understand the concerns affecting the network and report these to Post Office Ltd.
	The Post Office Ltd. franchise agreement establishes a contractual obligation for WH Smith to comply with the requirements of Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and appropriate health and safety legislation.

Post Offices: Disadvantaged

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions his Department plans to have with the Post Office Ltd. and WH Smith on changes to chip and pin services in WH Smith branches to meet the needs of blind and visually impaired customers.

Patrick McFadden: Post Office branches located within WH Smith will have the same pin pads as those found in all post office branches across the UK. To assist blind and visually impaired customers, these pin pads have a raised transparent dot on the five key, a plastic guard covering the function keys at the top of the pad and raised symbols alongside the clear, enter and cancel keys.
	Post Office Ltd. have worked with the RNIB to produce a leaflet entitled "How to use the PIN Pad at a Post Office branch" which is available from RNIB, or from the Post Office on 0845 722 3344. The Post Office card account was one of the first cards in the UK to feature an RNIB recommended cut away indent on its trailing edge to help blind users orient the card. It also has a black arrow to help guide insertion, chosen as "easiest to see" by a group of visually impaired people.

Post Offices: Dorset

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make a statement on the planned location of new outreach post offices within West Dorset constituency.

Patrick McFadden: No proposals or decisions have yet been made on any new Outreach post office locations in West Dorset. Post Office Ltd is now progressively developing proposals for network change in area plans based on groupings of parliamentary constituencies. These will then be subject to local public consultation after input from sub-postmasters, Postwatch and local authorities.

Post Offices: Dorset

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of post offices planned for closure within West Dorset constituency are in  (a) rural and  (b) urban areas.

Patrick McFadden: No proposals or decisions have yet been made on post office closures in West Dorset. Post Office Ltd. is now progressively developing proposals for network change in area plans based on groupings of Parliamentary constituencies. These will then be subject to local public consultation after input from sub-postmasters, Postwatch and local authorities.

Post Offices: Dorset

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many outreach post offices will open in West Dorset constituency during the planned post office closure programme.

Patrick McFadden: No proposals or decisions have yet been made on how many Outreach post office locations may be established in West Dorset. Post Office Ltd. is now progressively developing proposals for network change in area plans based on groupings of Parliamentary constituencies. These will then be subject to local public consultation after input from sub-postmasters, Postwatch and local authorities.

Post Offices: Dorset

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the  (a) opening times and  (b) services of the new Outreach post offices will be, with particular reference to the post offices to be located in the West Dorset parliamentary constituency.

Patrick McFadden: Decisions about local service offerings and opening hours at Outreach post offices are a matter for Post Office Ltd and local sub-postmasters, reflecting the needs and demand in local communities both in West Dorset and across the country. It is not appropriate to seek to set national standards for matters which are best considered at local level.

Post Offices: Dorset

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the timescale is for the opening of new Outreach post offices within the West Dorset parliamentary constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The opening of any new Outreach post offices in West Dorset will be integrated with the implementation of the wider network change programme for the area. I understand that under Post Office Ltd's planned timetable this would be in autumn 2008.

Postal Services

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether Post Office Ltd. has negotiated agreements with suppliers of goods or services which do not allow all branches to sell those products.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 17 September 2007
	 The negotiation of agreements with suppliers of goods and services is a matter for Post Office Ltd. and the suppliers, who will seek to determine the most effective way of delivering those products and services. Post Office Ltd. provide more than 170 different products and services and the vast majority are available across the national network of Post Office branches and many services are also now available through the internet or to order over the phone.

Postal Services

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the Post Office expects to publish information relating to the intention of sub-postmasters to leave the network during the local area plan consultation.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 17 September 2007
	The Post Office network transformation programme is required to meet the Government's access criteria and ensure a sustainable national network for the future. The programme will also consider the availability of public transport, alternative access to key services, local geography, local demographics and the impact on local economies. Closure decisions will not be determined by sub-postmasters' preferences though there will be cases where there is a strategic fit between a closure proposal and the sub-postmaster's wish to leave the network, as such, this will not form part of the information provided during the local area plan consultation. Information on branches proposed for closure will be provided by Post Office Ltd and this will be displayed on posters in branches and also available on the Post Office Ltd website.

Radioactive Materials: Waste Disposal

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how he plans to recover from the private sector the full costs of managing any new nuclear waste resulting from the operation of any new nuclear power stations.

Malcolm Wicks: If, as a result of the current consultation, Government decide that nuclear should be one of the low carbon options available to investors, it will put in place a robust financing framework through statute to ensure owners or operators of new nuclear power stations set aside funds in a secure way to cover their full decommissioning costs and their full share of waste management costs.

Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what representations he has received from non-governmental organisations on changes to the Merton rule; what discussions he held with ministerial colleagues ahead of the announcement of those changes; and what impact he expects the changes to have on the Government's micro-generation strategy.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 17 September 2007
	 We are aware of the concerns that have been raised around proposed changes to the planning system. We are working closely with colleagues in the Department for Communities and Local Government developing policy in this area, to ensure that issues related to microgeneration are considered. No announcements have yet been made.

Renewable Energy

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the obstacles to fulfilling targets for the proportion of energy to be produced from renewable sources.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 17 September 2007
	 The Energy White Paper identified the need both to create the right financial framework, and to lower practical barriers relating to planning and grid connection, in the light of our target of 10 per cent. electricity from renewables by 2010 and aspiration to double this by 2020. It also outlined proposals to band the Renewables Obligation, reform the planning regime and improve renewables grid connection in order to address these barriers. In the context of renewable energy use in transport, the White Paper referred to issues of sustainability, mechanical impact and costs.
	The 2007 spring European Council agreed an overall target for 20 per cent. of the EU's energy to be from renewables by 2020. Decisions have not yet been taken on individual member state's contribution to the target, but we are already giving initial consideration to potential obstacles to further renewable deployment—such as cost, technical feasibility, planning constraints, grid infrastructure, sustainability, and impact on wider energy policy goals—and how these might be overcome. We will be consulting on these issues in more detail once the European Commission has issued proposals on how the EU 20 per cent. renewable energy target should be implemented.

Solicitors: Misconduct

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he intends to send an observer from his Department to the disciplinary tribunal misconduct hearings against  (a) Wake Smith and Berefords and  (b) Raleys solicitors.

Stephen Timms: No. The Department is not aware of the dates of these hearings. We shall, though, monitor the outcomes.

Television

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 
	(1)  what percentage of new television sets sold in the UK have a screen blanking feature;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy to ensure that all new television sets have a screen blanking feature.

Stephen Timms: The Government have no information on the percentage of television sets with a screen blanking feature and has no plans to require television sets sold in the UK to include such a feature.
	Televisions have been identified as a priority for European action under the Energy Using Products Framework Directive (EuP) which provides a forum for considering options and priorities for establishing energy efficiency standards for energy using products. The Commission expects to bring forward proposals later this year.
	The Government are already working with business to promote and improve energy efficiency in televisions, recognising the need to respond to consumer demands in the global market, and to improve information for consumers to help them identify energy efficient products.

Trading Standards

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what rights of access trading standards officers have to  (a) planning,  (b) building control and  (c) council tax data held by the departments of local authorities.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The rights of access for trading standards officers to have access to personal data from local authority planning, building and council tax databases are determined by section 29 of the Data Protection Act 1998 and section 115 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Section 29 of the Data Protection Act provides that disclosure of personal data may take place where such disclosure is for the purposes of preventing or detecting crime, or apprehending or prosecuting offenders. Section 115 of the Crime and Disorder Act provides that any person who would not otherwise have the power to disclose information to a police authority or a local authority has power to do so where the disclosure is necessary or expedient for the purposes of any provision of that Act.

Academies

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what role the  (a) academy sponsor and  (b) local authority plays in deciding whether an academy should be a new-build or refurbishment project.

Jim Knight: We expect that most academy projects will be a mix of new build and refurbishment unless it is agreed, by the local authority and Partnerships for Schools (PfS), that none of the school buildings are capable of supporting the delivery of the sponsor's educational vision.
	In order to determine the level of refurbishment or new build, surveys are carried out in the early stages of an academy project. In the case of projects to be delivered via the National Framework, PfS will take the lead role in carrying out these surveys with each academy being inspected and re-developed based on its individual needs. Where academies are delivered as part of BSF we would expect that LA to carry out these surveys as part of its review of school provision.
	The sponsor will be consulted on the outcome of such surveys but the final decision will rest with DCSF as part of their project approval processes.

Academies: Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether it is his policy that academies should follow local authority admissions procedures; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Academies are required, by their funding agreements, to comply with admissions law and the Department's admissions codes as though they were maintained schools. This doesn't mean that they must adopt their Local authority admission arrangements. Like voluntary-aided and foundation schools, academies are responsible for determining their own admission arrangements in consultation with the local school admissions forum, on which the local authority is represented, and other local admission authorities. They must also be part of the local coordinated application process. Unlike other state funded schools, academies are required to seek the approval of the Secretary of State for their admission arrangements and before making any changes.

Academies: Governing Bodies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to require all academies to accept local authority governors onto their governing bodies; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: All academies are required by their funding agreement to have at least one local authority representative on their governing body, and local authorities acting as co-sponsors of academies will usually have two governors.

Academies: Isle of Sheppey

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when the executive responsible for the federated academy on the Isle of Sheppey expects to publish its consultation plans on which specialism will be available for each school site.

Jim Knight: The September newsletter published by the Project Steering Group for this Academy indicated that the dual specialisms of Business and Enterprise and Sport will be available for the whole Academy on both of its sites. 10,000 copies have been circulated widely on the Island. The period of formal consultation will conclude in November at which point a Funding Agreement for the Sheppey Academy should be with us for approval. Full details of consultation and briefing events are included in the September newsletter, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

Academies: Sponsorship

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many sponsors of academies have  (a) not paid and  (b) delayed paying their full contribution;
	(2)  how much is owed to the Government by academy sponsors.

Jim Knight: The following table shows, in relation to those academies with a signed funding agreement the amount of sponsorship pledged together with the related confirmed capital contribution. Notes 1 and 3 to the table identify those academies where the sponsor contribution has not been paid in full because the total contribution is not yet due to be paid. Delayed building works that have slowed the rate of sponsor contributions are identified by note 4. Significant delays for any other reason, where the Department proposes to engage the trust with a view to bringing the confirmed capital contribution back on profile, are noted at 2.
	The difference between the total amount of sponsorship pledged and the total confirmed capital contribution from sponsors, representing the amount due to be paid to Trusts over the remaining lifetime of building projects, is £64.415 million.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Academy with signed funding agreement  Total sponsorship pledged  Total confirmed capital contribution from sponsor to end of August 2007 
			 Manchester 2,000 (1)1,421 
			 Lambeth 2,000 (1)1,872 
			 Northampton 2,000 (1)943 
			 Paddington 1,500 (1)429 
			 Salford 1,600 (1)214 
			 Barnsley 1,500 (1)27 
			 Walthamstow 1,500 (1)27 
			 Sheffield Springs 1,500 1,500 
			 Sheffield Park 1,000 1,000 
			 Stockport 1,500 (1)202 
			 Peckham 2,000 2,986 
			 Harris Academy South Norwood 2,000 (2)250 
			 Harris Bermondsey 1,500 (3)0 
			 Harris Merton 500 (3)0 
			 Kings 2,000 2,006 
			 Trinity, Doncaster 2,000 2,000 
			 Haberdashers'—Hatcham 705 705 
			 Haberdashers'—Knights 296 296 
			 Marlowe 2,735 (1)2,565 
			 Folkestone 2,250 (1)887 
			 Walsall 2,500 2,565 
			 Sandwell 2,790 (1)2,119 
			 Bexley 2,410 2,462 
			 Greig 2,000 (1)1,664 
			 Unity 2,000 1,948 
			 Capital City, Brent 2,000 1,993 
			 City of London 2,000 2,000 
			 City Academy, Bristol 2,499 (1)1,670 
			 West London, Ealing 2,000 2,000 
			 London, Barnet 1,500 1,490 
			 Mossbourne 2,150 (1)1,631 
			 Stockley 2,000 1,953 
			 St. Francis of Assisi 2,000 (2)1,187 
			 The Harefield 1,500 (4)42 
			 Dixons CTC 651 614 
			 David Young, Leeds 1,500 (2)1,000 
			 Grace, Solihull 2,000 2,000 
			 Westminster 2,000 (3)600 
			 Thomas Deacon 10,500 (3)0 
			 St. Paul's—Greenwich 2,000 (1)200 
			 John Madejski, Reading 2,000 (1)1,926 
			 The Bridge, Hackney 2,000 (4)487 
			 Samworth Enterprise 2,443 (1)1,143 
			 Petchey 2,000 (1)1,921 
			 North Liverpool 1,000 (4)0 
			 Bradford Cathedral 1,000 (3)0 
			 Macmillan 1,250 (1)400 
			 Djanogly 0 0 
			 St. Matthew Lewisham 2,000 (4)1,200 
			 Enfield 2,000 (3)56 
			 Slough Langley 2,000 (1)500 
			 Leigh Technology 2,000 (3)0 
			 St. Mary Magdalene—Islington 2,000 (1)1,000 
			 Bristol 2 Withywood 2,000 (3)0 
			 Newcastle Excelsior 2,000 2,020 
			 Corby City 2,000 (3)0 
			 Ashcroft Technology 960 (3)0 
			 Landau Forte College 460 (1)2 
			 Oasis—Immingham 2,000 (3)0 
			 Oasis—Wintringham 2,000 (3)0 
			 Q3—Sandwell 2,000 (3)0 
			 Burlington Danes 1,500 (3)0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 4,000 (3)0 
			 Brooke Weston 461 (3)0 
			 John Cabot 378 (3)0 
			 St. Mark's Academy—Merton 2,000 (5)0 
			 Total 123,538 59,123 
			 (1) Amount paid up to end August 2007 in accordance with the agreed pattern of instalments. (2) In discussion with trust with a view to agreeing payment later this year. (3) None due to be paid up to end August 2007. (4) Instalment plan to be revised pending re-schedule of building works. (5) £2 million sponsorship to be Invested in endowment fund as opposed to towards capital costs.

Academies: Sponsorship

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his assessment is of the new sponsorship arrangements for academies, with particular reference to co-sponsorship by local authorities; and to what extent academies will remain independent under such arrangements.

Jim Knight: Local authorities are increasingly becoming engaged in the strategic planning and co-sponsorship of academies in their localities within their wider school rebuilding and transformational strategies. The Government welcome this engagement.
	All academies funding agreements require them to have at least one local authority representative on their governing body, and local authorities acting as co-sponsors will usually have two governors. In order to determine the ethos and leadership of the academy, and ensure clear responsibility and accountability, the private sector or charitable sponsor always appoints the majority of the governors. This is the case even when a local authority is acting as co-sponsor for wider purposes. All academies are run on an independent basis.

Children and Families Court Advisory and Support Service: Information Officers

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many press officers are employed by the Children and Families Court Advisory and Support Service

Kevin Brennan: This is a matter for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS). Anthony Douglas, the chief executive, has written to the hon. Member with this information and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
	 Letter from Anthony Douglas, dated 26 September 2007:
	I am writing to you in response to the parliamentary question that you recently tabled.
	Cafcass has four staff members in its Communications Team, covering a range of functions. The press office function takes approximately the equivalent of 0.5 to 1 full time member of staff; this work of a press officer is however spread across the whole team.
	A copy of this reply will be placed in the House Library.

Children: Abuse

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the incidence of physical violence against children by parents and carers was in each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Government collect data on children who became the subject of a child protection plan. In the past this has also meant being placed on a child protection register, although these arrangements are now being altered. Figures are available for the years ending 31 March 1990 to 2001 under the category of physical injury and for years ending 31 March 2002 to 2007 under the category of physical abuse. This information is provided by local authorities and includes cases of children suffering, or at risk of suffering significant harm from parents and carers (though it will also include other cases such as those where parents are unable to protect children from others posing a risk of harm to them). This information is set out in the following tables.
	Up until year ending 31 March 2001 physical injury was recorded and could also be identified in cases where concerns about children included a mix of different categories. After that point, local authorities ceased reporting mixed categories separately so figures from year ending 31 March 2002 onwards are only available for registrations and child protection plans that are attributed to physical abuse as a single category. In the same year, there was also a change to the registration category where physical injury was redefined as physical abuse. As a result of this change in definition, the figures reported in year ending 31 March 2002 onwards for physical abuse may not be wholly comparable to the figures reported for 'physical injury alone' in preceding years.
	
		
			  Table 1: Children who became the subject of a child protection plan( 1 ) as a result of physical abuse during the year ending  31 March 2002 to 2007 
			   Number  Percentage( 2) 
			 2007 5,100 15 
			 2006 5,100 16 
			 2005 5,500 18 
			 2004 5,700 19 
			 2003 5,700 19 
			 2002 5,300 19 
			 (1) A child may be registered more than once during the year. (2) Percentage of children who became the subject of a child protection plan as a direct result of physical abuse. Excludes children who are subject to multiple forms of abuse including physical abuse. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Children who became the subject of a child protection plan( 1)  as a result of physical injury during the year ending 31 March 1990 to 2001 
			   Physical injury alone  Percentage( 2)  Total physical injury( 3)  Percentage( 4) 
			 2001 5,800 22 8,000 30 
			 2000 6,700 23 9,500 32 
			 1909 7,000 23 9,400 31 
			 1998 7,500 25 8,000 33 
			 1997 8,400 29 10,800 38 
			 1996 8,600 30 10,700 38 
			 1995 10,400 34 12,300 40 
			 1994 9,700 34 11,400 40 
			 1993 8,400 34 9,800 40 
			 1992 6,300 26 7,100 29 
			 1991 6,000 21 6,700 24 
			 1990 6,300 24 7,100 26 
			 (1) A child may be registered more than once during the year. (2) Expressed as a percentage of the total children who became the subject of a child protection plan. (3) Includes children who have suffered physical Injury in conjunction with other categories of abuse. Children may be counted more than once in these mixed categories. (4) Percentage of children who became the subject of a child protection plan as a result of physical injury alone or in conjunction with other reported forms of abuse.

Children: Databases

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the written statement on 25 July 2007, on the electronic common assessment framework, whether Criminal Records Bureau checks and other checks made to personnel authorised to use the system will also be applied to those who are commissioned to service and maintain the system.

Beverley Hughes: The Government will ensure that the electronic common assessment framework (eCAF) system is secure and that it will comply with stringent Government and international protective security standards. Access to it will be restricted to authorised users, who need to use it as part of their job. There are two types of authorised user; practitioners, who use eCAF to perform their professional roles relating to children; and system administrators, who perform IT-related tasks on the eCAF system itself, or on the data held by eCAF. Both types of user must pass CRB checks and will also be subject to the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS).

Children: Play

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what support his Department gives to the provision of opportunities for play for children.

Kevin Brennan: We recognise fully the benefits of play for children and we continue to take steps to support and promote the provision of opportunities for play. For example, from September 2008, it will be mandatory for all schools and early years providers in Ofsted registered settings to follow the Early Years Foundation Stage—a play-based approach to supporting and improving the wellbeing and development of children from birth to age five. Extended schools will offer additional opportunities for sale, supervised play out of normal school hours. "Aiming High for Young People" published in July 2007 will support a major expansion of positive activities for young people over the next 10 years. The Department new has joint policy responsibility for play with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and will work closely with that Department and with Communities and Local Government and other Departments to build on the Government's support for play outlined in the "Time for Play" document published by DCMS in 2006. As a first step, the Minister for Sport and I will meet Play England later this month.

Departments: Families

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to support  (a) families and  (b) marriage through his policies; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: We know from evidence that parenting and the quality of adult relationships in families are primary factors in improving children's outcomes; and family and relationship support are an integral part of DCSF family policy and vision. 'Every Parent Matters' and 'Aiming High for Children: Supporting Families' (both published in March 2007) signal our intent to continue to support families through our policies. This has been reinforced by the new Machinery of Government changes putting families in the title of the Department for the first time, moving us beyond arbitrary distinctions between services for children and adults. We are looking at how we should champion families across Government.
	We recognise that the traditional family structure has evolved and not all children are born to parents who are married or are raised in a two parent family, Emerging family policy recognises the personal choices of people in their family lives, and seeks to support and strengthen the relationships they choose to make. We continue to work in partnership with the third sector to deliver our policies and provide high quality services for families.

Departments: Pay

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the total cost was of performance related pay in  (a) his Department and  (b) schools in each year since 1990-91; how much it is expected to be in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department was created in June 2007 and will award all salaries on a performance related basis in 2008, Since 1905, when the predecessor Departments received delegated pay responsibility, all salaries have been fully performance related. The staffing levels and paybills for each year are published in the annual departmental reports available in the House of Commons Library.
	It is not possible to estimate the cost of performance related pay in schools. Teachers undergo an annual review of performance which contributes to decisions that may be made by their school/employer about their progression on the pay scale or spine range for their grade. Non-teaching school staff are paid under local arrangements with varying discretions to recognise performance.

Departments: Press

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families to which periodicals his Department subscribes.

Kevin Brennan: A list of periodicals subscribed to by the DCSF is shown in the following list. Individual teams within DCSF have the option to subscribe to periodicals if they wish, however to extract this information would involve disproportionate cost.
	 List of periodicals subscribed to by DCSF Library
	Accountancy
	ACE Bulletin (Advisory Centre for Education)
	Adults Learning
	American Economic Review
	American Journal of Sociology
	Autlook (previously called: AUT Bulletin)
	Basic Skills Bulletin
	Bookseller
	British Education Index
	British Educational Research Journal
	British Journal of Educational Psychology
	British Journal of Educational Studies
	British Journal of Educational Technology
	British Journal of Psychology
	British Journal of Sociology
	British Journal of Sociology of Education
	British Journal of Special Education
	Broadsheet (City and Guilds of London Institute) website
	Bulletpoint
	Cambio 16
	Cambridge Journal of Economics
	Campaigns Newsletter (Child Poverty Action Group)
	Case Notes (formerly: Parents and Schools)
	Catholic Herald (website)
	CBI Industrial Trends Survey
	CEDEFOP Info
	Centrepiece
	Child Abuse Review
	Child: Care, Health and Development
	Child Education
	Children and Society
	Children Now (website)
	Choice
	Church Times
	CJM (Criminal Justice Matters)
	Community Care (website)
	Computer Education
	Computer Weekly (website)
	Computing (website)
	Counselling and Psychotherapy Research Journal (formerly: Counselling)
	Current Sociology
	Curriculum Journal
	Deafness and Education International
	Disability Now
	Dot Net (.Net)
	Drug Link
	E-Learning Age: the magazine for the learning organisation (incorporating KM News)
	E-Learning Today (formerly Interactive: Managing ICT in Schools)
	Early Childhood Research and Practice
	Early Education
	Early Years Educator: EYE
	Econometrics Journal
	Economic Journal
	Economic Policy Reforms: Going for Growth
	Economic and Labour Market Review (formerly Economic Trends)
	Economics of Education Review
	Economist
	Education 3-13
	Education and Health
	Education and Training Parliamentary Monitor
	Education Economics
	Education Journal
	Education Review
	Education Today (formerly: Educational Times)
	Education Week (USA)
	Educational and Child Psychology
	Educational Computing and Technology
	Educational Management Administration and Leadership (formerly Educational Management and Administration)
	Educational Policy
	Educational Research
	Educational Researcher
	Educational Review
	Educational Studies
	Employer's Law
	Employment and Earnings
	European Journal of Special Needs Education
	European Journal of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP)
	Evaluation
	Evaluation and Research in Education
	Evidence and Policy: A journal of Research Debate and Practice
	Exceptional Children
	L'Express
	Forum for Promoting 3-19 Education
	Government Computing
	Lords Hansard
	Commons Hansard
	Harvard Business Review
	Harvard Educational Review
	Health and Safety Monitor
	Health Service Journal
	Higher Education: the international journal of higher education and educational planning
	Higher Education Management and Policy
	Higher Education Quarterly
	Higher Education Review
	Higher Quality
	History
	History Today
	House Magazine
	House of Commons Weekly Information Bulletin
	Human Resource Management Journal
	IDS Employment Law Brief
	IDS HR Studies
	IDS Pay Report (formerly IDS Report)
	Improving Schools
	Information Today
	Information World Review
	Interactive: Managing ICT in Schools (see E-Learning Today)
	International Financial Statistics (IMF)
	International Journal of Early Years Education
	International Journal of Social Research Methodology
	International Labour Review
	IRS Employment Review (formerly: Industrial Relations Review and Report)
	Journal of Communication Management
	Journal of Computer Assisted Learning
	Journal of Early Childhood Literacy
	Journal of Early Childhood Research
	Journal of Economic Literature
	Journal of Economic Perspectives
	Journal of Education and Work (formerly: British Journal of Education and Work)
	Journal of Education Policy
	Journal of Educational Research
	Journal of Labor Economics
	Journal of Librarianship and Information Science
	Journal of Management Studies
	Journal of Moral Education
	Journal of Organisational Behaviour
	Journal of Research into Special Educational Needs
	Journal of Social Policy
	Journal of Special Education
	Journal of Vocational Education and Training
	Junior Education
	KM Review
	Labour Force Survey Quarterly Supplement
	Labour Market Statistics: First Release
	Labour Market Trends (see Economic and Labour Market Review)
	Labour Research
	LDR (National College for School Leadership)
	Linguist
	Literacy (formerly Reading, Literacy and Language)
	Literacy Today
	Local Economy
	Local Government Chronicle
	London Gazette Supplement
	London Review of Education
	Management in Education
	Management Learning
	Management Today
	Managing Information (Aslib)
	Managing Schools Today (previously called: School Governor)
	Marketing Week
	The MJ: The Management Journal for Local Authority Business
	Le Monde de I'Education
	Monthly Digest of Statistics (ONS)
	National Institute Economic Review
	Nature
	New Nation
	New Scientist (website)
	New Statesman
	Newscheck (Careers and Occupational Information Centre)
	Newsweek International
	NFER News (National Foundation for Education Research)
	Nursery and Childcare Market News
	Nursery World
	OECD Economic Outlook
	OECD Economic Studies
	Open Learning
	Oxford Review of Economic Policy
	Oxford Review of Education
	PDT—Professional Development Today
	People Management
	Personal Computer World (website}
	Personnel Today (website)
	Le Point (website)
	Policy and Politics
	Policy Studies
	Political Quarterly
	Population Trends
	Poverty (Child Poverty Action Group)
	Practical Funding for Schools
	Practical Research in Education (formerly Topic)
	Private Eye
	Professionalism in Practice (formerly: Professional Teacher)
	Project
	Project Manager Today
	Prospect
	Psychologist
	Public
	Public Policy and Administration
	Public Policy Research (formerly New Economy)
	Qualitative Research
	Quality in Higher Education
	Race and Class
	Race Equality Teaching (formerly: Multicultural Teaching)
	RE Today
	Research in Education
	Research in Post Compulsory Education
	Research Intelligence: BERA Newsletter
	Research into Higher Education Abstracts access via Educational Research Abstracts
	Research Papers in Education
	Review of Educational Research
	Salisbury Review
	School Effectiveness and School Improvement
	School Leadership
	School Leadership and Management (formerly School Organisation)
	Scientific American (website)
	Sex Education
	Social Policy and Society
	Social Sciences—News from ESRC
	Sociological Review
	Sociology of Education Abstracts see Educational Research Abstracts
	Special Children
	The Spectator (website)
	Spectrum
	Der Spiegel
	Strategic HR Review
	Studies in Higher Education
	Studies in the Education of Adults (previously called: Studies in Adult Education)
	Support for Learning
	Sure Start
	The Teacher
	Teachers magazine (DCSF split into Primary and Secondary from 2001)
	Teaching Thinking
	Teaching Today (NASUWT)
	Technology in Education
	Technology, Pedagogy and Education (previously called: Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education, 1992-2002)
	Time Magazine
	Time Out
	Times Educational Supplement
	Times Higher Education Supplement
	Times Literary Supplement
	Tips and Advice Internet
	Topic see Practical Research in Education
	Training and Employment (French Dimensions)
	Training Journal (formerly Training Officer)
	Tribune
	UK Economic Accounts
	Under Five (previously called: Contact or Under Five Contact)
	The Voice (website)
	Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies
	Welfare Rights Bulletin
	Which?
	Whitehall and Westminster World
	Work Employment and Society
	Working Brief
	Young People Now
	Youth and Policy
	0-19 Zero 2 Nineteen

European Indicators Project

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to ensure full participation in the European Indicators Project by official bodies and UK assessment organisations;
	(2)  what steps the Government are taking to ensure that the work under way in the UK in relation to language and social inclusion through the Asset languages programme and UK Languages Ladder initiative  (a) is better known across the European Union and  (b) is taken into consideration as arrangements are made to operationalise the European Indicators Project as agreed by the Council of Ministers in Barcelona (2002).

Jim Knight: The European Indicators Project is going through a competitive tender process, and any official body or UK assessment organisation could have submitted a bid on their own or as part of a consortium. We would expect that whoever wins the tender would work with appropriate organisations with relevant expertise as they develop the project.
	The Languages Ladder/Asset Languages scheme offers assessment in 25 languages, including a wide range of community languages. The Languages Ladder levels have been mapped against the Common European Framework.
	The National Director for Languages and the Project Director for the Languages Ladder have made presentations at both Council of Europe and European Union events, promoting the Languages Ladder/Asset Languages scheme, and will continue to do so. Cambridge ESOL—who have developed Asset Languages qualifications with OCR as part of Cambridge Assessment—are members of the Association of Languages Testers in Europe and have made formal presentations on Asset Languages at international conferences. The Languages Ladder and Asset Languages also featured as an example of good practice in the VALEUR (Valuing All Languages in Europe) project which looked at language diversity in Europe and opportunities to gain qualifications in community languages.

Free School Meals

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of pupils were entitled to free school meals in each local education authority in 2006-07, ranked from highest to lowest; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Information on percentages of pupils entitled to free school meals in each local authority, ranked highest to lowest, in 2006-07 is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  School meal eligibility( 1)  in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools January 2007 (provisional)—ranked by local authority area, England 
			  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 1) 
			   Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 Tower Hamlets 52.4 
			 Islington 42.6 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 42.2 
			 Camden 42.1 
			 Manchester 40.5 
			 Hackney 38.3 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 37.7 
			 Lambeth 37.3 
			 Westminster 35.3 
			 Southwark 33.6 
			 Birmingham 33.1 
			 Haringey 32.0 
			 Greenwich 31.0 
			 Liverpool 30.3 
			 Newham 29.5 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 29.1 
			 Salford 28.7 
			 Knowsley 28.1 
			 Wandsworth 27.5 
			 Middlesbrough 27.3 
			 Brent 27.3 
			 Lewisham 26.4 
			 Nottingham 26.4 
			 South Tyneside 25.8 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 25.8 
			 Blackpool 25.3 
			 Enfield 25.2 
			 Waltham Forest 24.7 
			 Wirral 24.6 
			 Barking and Dagenham 24.0 
			 Leicester 23.0 
			 Rochdale 23.0 
			 Ealing 22.6 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 22.3 
			 Luton 22.1 
			 Hounslow 21.6 
			 Oldham 21.4 
			 Hartlepool 21.3 
			 Bristol, City of 21.2 
			 Croydon 21.0 
			 Southampton 20.9 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 20.8 
			 Halton 20.5 
			 Sandwell 20.1 
			 Coventry 20.1 
			 Bradford 20.1 
			 Wolverhampton 19.9 
			 Gateshead 19.8 
			 Walsall 19.6 
			 Sunderland 19.3 
			 St. Helens 19.2 
			 Derby 19.2 
			 Barnet 19.1 
			 North East Lincolnshire 18.9 
			 Leeds 18.7 
			 Durham 18.3 
			 Darlington 18.1 
			 Isle of Wight 18.0 
			 Redbridge 17.8 
			 Telford and Wrekin 17.7 
			 Doncaster 17.7 
			 Rotherham 17.0 
			 Southend-on-Sea 17.0 
			 Barnsley 16.9 
			 Hillingdon 16.8 
			 Sheffield 16.8 
			 Harrow 16.6 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 16.5 
			 Bolton 16.4 
			 Plymouth 16.4 
			 Peterborough 16.4 
			 Tameside 16.3 
			 Slough 16.2 
			 North Tyneside 16.0 
			 Torbay 15.9 
			 Brighton and Hove 15.9 
			 Reading 15.9 
			 Kirklees 15.8 
			 Portsmouth 15.8 
			 Dudley 15.7 
			 Wakefield 15.6 
			 Sefton 15.0 
			 Calderdale 14.8 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 14.8 
			 Wigan 14.6 
			 Bury 14.2 
			 Thurrock 13.7 
			 Norfolk 13.3 
			 North Lincolnshire 13.2 
			 Milton Keynes 13.1 
			 Lancashire 13.0 
			 Sutton 12.8 
			 Medway 12.8 
			 Cumbria 12.4 
			 Derbyshire 12.0 
			 Merton 11.9 
			 Nottinghamshire 11.9 
			 Northumberland 11.7 
			 Bromley 11.7 
			 Havering 11.3 
			 East Sussex 11.1 
			 Stockport 11.1 
			 Kent 11.1 
			 Solihull 11.0 
			 Cornwall 10.9 
			 Bexley 10.9 
			 Trafford 10.7 
			 Bedfordshire 10.5 
			 North Somerset 10.4 
			 Bournemouth 10.3 
			 Cheshire 10.2 
			 Suffolk 10.1 
			 Staffordshire 10.1 
			 Essex 9.9 
			 York 9.7 
			 Swindon 9.7 
			 Warwickshire 9.7 
			 Devon 9.6 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 9.5 
			 Warrington 9.5 
			 Gloucestershire 9.4 
			 Worcestershire 9.1 
			 Cambridgeshire 9.0 
			 Oxfordshire 9.0 
			 Shropshire 8.9 
			 Kingston upon Thames 8.8 
			 Hampshire 8.6 
			 Richmond upon Thames 8.5 
			 Somerset 8.1 
			 Hertfordshire 8.0 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 8.0 
			 North Yorkshire 7.9 
			 Surrey 7.4 
			 South Gloucestershire 7.4 
			 Lincolnshire 7.3 
			 West Berkshire 7.3 
			 Herefordshire 7.2 
			 Leicestershire 7.2 
			 Northamptonshire 7.2 
			 Wiltshire 6.7 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 6.6 
			 Bracknell Forest 6.5 
			 Poole 5.4 
			 West Sussex 5.2 
			 Dorset 4.9 
			 Buckinghamshire 4.9 
			 Rutland 4.5 
			 Wokingham 4.3 
			 Isles of Scilly x 
			 City of London(4) n/a 
		
	
	
		
			  Maintained secondary schools( 2) 
			   Percentage known to be eligible for free school meals 
			 Tower Hamlets 58.8 
			 Islington 41.4 
			 Newham 39.2 
			 Manchester 38.6 
			 Lambeth 37.4 
			 Hackney 37.3 
			 Haringey 33.8 
			 Camden 33.4 
			 Knowsley 33.3 
			 Birmingham 31.9 
			 Southwark 31.9 
			 Middlesbrough 31.8 
			 Westminster 29.7 
			 Greenwich 28.1 
			 Nottingham 27.9 
			 Liverpool 27.8 
			 Barking and Dagenham 27.7 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 26.6 
			 Lewisham 25.7 
			 Ealing 25.6 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 25.3 
			 Waltham Forest 24.8 
			 Wandsworth 24.0 
			 Bradford 23.7 
			 Rochdale 23.4 
			 Salford 23.3 
			 South Tyneside 23.1 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 22.7 
			 Brent 22.6 
			 Wirral 22.0 
			 Leicester 21.7 
			 Blackpool 21.4 
			 Luton 21.3 
			 Sandwell 20.3 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 20.2 
			 Oldham 20.0 
			 Enfield 19.7 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 19.2 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 19.2 
			 Harrow 19.2 
			 Wolverhampton 18.9 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 18.9 
			 Hartlepool 18.5 
			 Croydon 18.4 
			 Hounslow 18.3 
			 Halton 18.1 
			 Bristol, City of 17.1 
			 Telford and Wrekin 17.0 
			 St. Helens 16.9 
			 Gateshead 16.9 
			 Coventry 16.9 
			 Hillingdon 16.8 
			 Tameside 16.8 
			 Walsall 16.8 
			 Southampton 16.3 
			 Barnsley 16.2 
			 North East Lincolnshire 16.0 
			 Redbridge 16.0 
			 Leeds 16.0 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 15.8 
			 Richmond upon Thames 15.6 
			 Derby 15.6 
			 Peterborough 15.6 
			 Durham 15.5 
			 Kirklees 15.5 
			 Dudley 15.3 
			 Barnet 15.0 
			 Isle of Wight 15.0 
			 Brighton and Hove 14.8 
			 Bolton 14.8 
			 Portsmouth 14.7 
			 Rotherham 14.6 
			 Sefton 14.5 
			 Sheffield 14.3 
			 Sunderland 13.9 
			 Darlington 13.8 
			 Doncaster 13.8 
			 Bury 13.6 
			 Slough 13.5 
			 Wigan 13.3 
			 Wakefield 12.8 
			 Calderdale 12.4 
			 Merton 12.2 
			 Torbay 11.7 
			 Milton Keynes 11.7 
			 Lancashire 11.6 
			 Reading 11.4 
			 Nottinghamshire 11.4 
			 Stockport 11.3 
			 Plymouth 11.2 
			 North Lincolnshire 11.1 
			 North Tyneside 11.0 
			 Thurrock 10.7 
			 Southend-on-Sea 10.7 
			 Cumbria 10.2 
			 Northumberland 10.1 
			 Solihull 10.1 
			 Bournemouth 10.0 
			 Norfolk 10.0 
			 East Sussex 9.7 
			 Bromley 9.6 
			 Cornwall 9.4 
			 Havering 9.4 
			 Medway 9.1 
			 Derbyshire 9.1 
			 Trafford 8.7 
			 Bedfordshire 8.7 
			 North Somerset 8.5 
			 Suffolk 8.4 
			 Swindon 8.4 
			 Bexley 8.1 
			 Worcestershire 8.0 
			 Devon 8.0 
			 Cheshire 8.0 
			 York 8.0 
			 Kingston upon Thames 7.9 
			 Kent 7.9 
			 Essex 7.8 
			 Staffordshire 7.7 
			 Somerset 7.6 
			 Herefordshire 7.5 
			 Cambridgeshire 7.4 
			 Oxfordshire 7.3 
			 Warrington 7.3 
			 Sutton 7.2 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 7.2 
			 Shropshire 6.0 
			 Warwickshire 6.8 
			 Lincolnshire 6.5 
			 Hertfordshire 6.4 
			 Hampshire 6.4 
			 Gloucestershire 6.4 
			 South Gloucestershire 8.1 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 6.0 
			 North Yorkshire 5.9 
			 Dorset 5.9 
			 West Sussex 5.8 
			 Leicestershire 5.5 
			 Northamptonshire 5.5 
			 Buckinghamshire 5.4 
			 Surrey 5.4 
			 Poole 5.3 
			 West Berkshire 5.0 
			 Wiltshire 4.8 
			 Wokingham 4.7 
			 Bracknell Forest 4.7 
			 Rutland 4.6 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 4.1 
			 City of London (3)— 
			 Isles of Scilly (3)— 
			 x = Based on less than three pupils. n/a = Not available. (1) Includes dually registered pupils and boarding pupils. (2) Includes middle schools as deemed. (3) Not applicable. No schools of this type. (4) There is one maintained primary school in City of London local authority. When the provisional freeze of the school census database was taken this school had not provided their data which means provisional 2007 figures are not available for City of London local authority.  Source: School Census

Further Education: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to bring funding levels for 16 to 18-year-olds in further education colleges up to the funding levels in schools; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The LSC has made a series of changes to funding arrangements which have already reduced the gap by 5 per cent. Further work is already in hand that will reduce the gap by a further 3 per cent. from 2008.
	Changes made include increasing college funding rates by 1 per cent. more than school sixth form funding rates in 2004/05 and 2005/06; removing, from 2006/07, in year adjustment for school sixth forms to bring them into line with college funding arrangements; and, from 2006/07, collecting pupil-level data from school sixth forms on retention and attainment.

GCE A-Level: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of whether absolute A-level standards have changed over the last 20 years, pursuant to the comments of the Chair of the Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: A levels, like other qualifications, are tightly regulated and standards monitored by the independent Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QGA). The Committee on Examination Standards chaired by the Director for Education at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) concluded in 2004 that no examination system at the school or other level is so tightly or carefully managed.
	Claims that A levels have got easier have been investigated and refuted on numerous occasions since the 1990s, first by Ofsted and then by QCA. It is not possible to make a simple comparison between exam papers from one or two decades ago with papers today: pupils learn different things today because the world is a different place, with employers demanding different skills. The improvements we have seen in success rates at A level are a result of record investment, 30,000 extra teachers, double the number of support staff and billions invested in rebuilding crumbling schools. The further improvements planned for A level as part of our 14-19 reforms, to be introduced in 2008, will provide further stretch and challenge for the most able pupils and ensure A levels remain robust qualifications that are respected internationally. Success at A level today is no less demanding than it was in the past.

General Certificate of Secondary Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will set a target for 80 per cent. of pupils to pass five or more GCSEs at A-C grade by 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Standards in secondary schools have risen dramatically. 2007 data is not yet available but in 2006 58.5 per cent. of pupils achieved five good GCSEs—an increase of 13.4 percentage points since 1997. Over 86,000 more pupils achieved five good GCSEs last year compared with 1997 and 62,000 more achieved five good GCSEs including English and maths compared with 1997. We are on track to meet the 2008 target of 60 per cent. of pupils achieving five good GCSEs and we expect that healthy trajectory to continue.
	Targets are an essential part of the Government's commitment to raising educational standards. The existing set of public service agreement (PSA) targets linked to raising attainment covers the period up to 2008. We expect to be announcing shortly a new set of PSA targets for the spending review period up to 2011.

Home Education: General Certificate of Secondary Education

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what estimate he has made of the proportion of children educated at home who were entered for GCSEs/A levels in each of the last three years; and what assessment he has made of how their results compared with those educated at school.

Jim Knight: We have not made any estimates of the proportion of children educated at home that were entered for public examinations nor how their results compared with those educated in school.

Literacy: Finance

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what funding  (a) is and  (b) is planned to be made available for initiatives that encourage parents to assist their children in learning to read.

Beverley Hughes: The Department is currently funding Booktrust £8.7 million to deliver Bookstart and £1.22 million to deliver Booktime in 2007-08.
	Bookstart delivers book packs to babies aged between six to nine months, 18 months and three years. By encouraging parents and carers to become more actively involved with their child's learning and development through the sharing of books, Bookstart seeks to improve children's communication, language and literacy skills and to improve children's personal, social and emotional development.
	The new Booktime initiative will enable every child entering a reception class in autumn 2007 to receive a free copy of FunnyBones by Janet and Allan Ahlberg, Booktime promotes reading for pleasure and encourages parents and carers to read aloud to their children and help foster a love of reading at this key stage in their child's education and development.
	The new Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills is responsible for family literacy, language and numeracy which has been a national initiative since 1994. This initiative is designed to enable parents and their children to improve their literacy and numeracy skills together, That Department will be developing a family literacy, language and numeracy programme (with a focus on literacy and numeracy) for parents of children aged 0 to four, based on the early years foundation stage. They will also be developing information packs for use by parents with literacy, language and numeracy skills needs to help them maximise the potential of the free books to be given to five and 11-year-old children in the 2007 autumn term.

Parenting Orders

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many parenting orders were issued as a consequence of pupil non-attendance at schools in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Department started to collect data regarding parenting orders (in cases of non-attendance and exclusion from school) from September 2004. Between 1 September 2004 and 13 April 2007, local authorities reported 1,183 parenting orders being made by the courts following a prosecution for failing to ensure regular school attendance. The data is collected in period three times a year as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1 September 2004 to 31 December 2004 130 
			 1 January 2005 to 1 April 2005 96 
			 2 April 2005 to 31 July 2005 201 
			 1 August 2005 to 31 December 2005 184 
			 1 January 2006 to 21 April 2006 98 
			 22 April 2006 to 1 September 2006 223 
			 2 September 2006 to 31 December 2006 143 
			 1 January 2007 to 13 April 2007 108 
			 Total number of parenting orders issued 1,183 
		
	
	Additional data on parental responsibility measures are provided at local authority level and are published at:
	www.dfes.gov.uk/schoolattendance/otherinitiatives/Data.cfm

Pupils: Work Experience

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many work experience schemes are run by schools in each  (a) Government region and  (b) local education authority.

Jim Knight: The Department does not routinely collect this information. Each year the vast majority of more than half a million key stage 4 (14-16) pupils in all areas go on work experience placements. Work experience is the single biggest, co-ordinated partnership between employers and schools. Surveys show that work experience is valued by employers, schools and—most importantly—learners, Ofsted reported that four out of five pupils are positive about their work experience, and that three quarters of placements are well matched to pupils' interests and capabilities.

Schools: Finance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what plans he has to increase the share of national income spent on education from 2005 levels over the period 2007 to 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Government will increase spending in education as a proportion of GDP from 5.4 per cent. in 2005-06 to 5.6 per cent. in 2010-11. This compares to 4 7 per cent. of GDP spent on education in 1996-97. The exact figures for 2005-06 to 2010-11 are shown in the following table.
	The table also shows total spend on UK education spend by the Government.
	
		
			  UK Government education spend 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			 Total Government education spend as a proportion of GDP 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 
			 Total UK education spend by Government (£ billion) 67.1 71.5 77.4 81.1 84.8 90 
		
	
	Following machinery of government changes, education spend on post-19 further education and skills and higher education is the responsibility of DIUS. My Department will continue to work closely with DIUS in relation to post-19 and higher education spending.

Schools: Finance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of whether all the incentives created by the five per cent. levy on school budget surpluses are in line with the objectives of that policy; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what provisional costing he has made in relation to the redistribution of funding through the five per cent. levy on school budget surpluses;
	(3)  how many schools he expects to be liable for the five per cent. levy on school budget surpluses.

Jim Knight: The Government are taking action to reduce the total level of school balances which stood at £1.6 billion nationally at the end of the financial year 2005-06. We believe it right to ensure that some of this money is used to support the education of today's pupils. We propose therefore to require local authorities to redistribute locally five per cent. of all positive revenue balances which, on the basis of 2005-06 figures, would apply to around 20,500 or 90.4 per cent. of all schools. That will encourage these schools to think carefully about the level of their balances and to plan ahead for their use.
	It will be for each local authority in consultation with its Schools Forum to decide how the redistribution will work in their area. Because the redistribution takes place within a local authority it will reward those schools who budget prudently for a small surplus at the end of each financial year, at the expense of those schools who maintain consistently high balances. As the resources will be redistributed there is no overall cost to the school system from this measure and we estimate that a five percent. annual redistribution would release around £75 million a year for wider use within schools.

Schools: Standards

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which schools in special measures have been in such a category for over two years, broken down by date of special measures declaration.

Jim Knight: The following table lists the schools that have been in special measures for more than two years. It also shows the schools' unique reference number, the relevant local authority and the date of the inspection when the school was placed in special measures. The list reflects the position on 1 October 2007.
	
		
			  URN  School name  Local authority  Date of inspection 
			 107228 Usher Street Primary School and Nursery Bradford 10 July 2003(1) 
			 125272 Thomas Knyvet College (previously Ash Technology College) Surrey 3 March 2005 
			 107774 Birkdale High School Kirklees 30 June 2005 
			 117781 Berkeley Junior School North Lincolnshire 7 July 2005 
			 (1) Re-inspected November 2005 
		
	
	These schools represent only 1.6 per cent. of the schools currently in special measures and 0.02 per cent. of all schools. On average schools are spending less time in this Ofsted category. For example, primary schools are now spending an average of 16 months in special measures compared to 23 months in 1997, The equivalent figures for secondary show a reduction from 28 to 22 months.
	Building on this progress, the Department's reforms to tackle failing schools in the Education and Inspections Act 2006 demand radical action from the school and local authority with a clear expectation that schools are turned around rapidly.

Secondary Education: Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families where the programmes of study for the new secondary curriculum rejects  (a) constructivism,  (b) whole language teaching and  (c) fuzzy maths as stated by the Chief Executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in his speech on the launch of the new secondary curriculum.

Jim Knight: The new secondary curriculum programmes of study set out the minimum subject content which must be taught to all pupils. No programme of study makes mention of constructivism. No programme of study requires whole language leaching. No programme of study requires the teaching of fuzzy mathematics.
	Schools will continue to decide how they organise their curriculum, lessons and timetable to meet the requirements of the national curriculum.

Secondary Education: Teaching Methods

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of children in secondary schools were taught in classes with  (a) streaming and  (b) setting in each year since 1996-97; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Library.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 6 August 2007:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
	Although I am unable to answer the particular question you have raised, I have set out in the following tables the data Ofsted has on the proportion of observed lessons in secondary schools from September 1996 to August 2007 which were taught in setted/streamed classes
	The data are based on the use of streaming and setting in lessons observed during inspection. Some explanation of these figures may be helpful. Before September 2005, inspectors were usually informed about how classes were organised by means of pre-inspection documentation, discussion with headteachers or teachers' schemes of work or lesson plans. Under the inspection arrangements at that time, all full-time teachers were observed by inspectors. Since September 2005, the recording of class organisation has been based either on discussions with the headteacher or teacher by reference to the lesson plan at the time of observation. A much smaller number of lessons are observed than would have been seen under the previous inspection framework. Lessons seen may therefore not represent pupil grouping in the school as a whole.
	From 2003-04 the distinction between streaming and setting was removed and instead data recorded on whether the class was mixed ability or setted/streamed.
	Physical education classes have been excluded from the analyses as these are not usually setted for ability in the subject
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools, and will be placed in the Library of both Houses.
	
		
			  September 1996 to August 1997 
			   All (excluding PE) 
			   Total lessons  Percentage banded  Percentage setted 
			 Year 7 25,307 7 18 
			 Year 8 25,263 8 33 
			 Year 9 25,179 8 40 
			 Year 10 22,758 4 42 
			 Year 7 to 11 35,439 4 38 
			 Tottal 7 to 11 133,946 6 34 
		
	
	
		
			  September 1997 to August 1998 
			   AH (excluding PE) 
			   Total lessons  Percentage banded  Percentage setted 
			 Year 7 15,080 1 22 
			 Year 8 15,016 10 35 
			 Year 9 15,434 10 43 
			 Year 10 15,690 5 41 
			 Year 11 16,336 5 41 
			 Total 7 to 11 77,556 8 37 
		
	
	
		
			  September 1998 to August 1999 
			   All (excluding PE) 
			   Total lessons  Percentage banded  Percentage setted 
			 Year 7 20,585 5 21 
			 Year 8 20,057 6 38 
			 Year 9 21,739 7 45 
			 Year 10 22,483 4 41 
			 Year 11 22,663 4 42 
			 Year 7 to 11 107,527 5 38 
		
	
	
		
			  September 1999 to August 2000 
			   All (excluding PE) 
			   Total lessons  Percentage banded  Percentage setted 
			 Year 7 16,145 5 21 
			 Year 8 15,443 6 37 
			 Year 9 17,457 6 43 
			 Year 10 16,977 3 41 
			 Year 11 17,143 3 42 
			 Total 7 to 11 83,165 5 37 
		
	
	
		
			  September 2000 to August 2001 
			   All (excluding PE) 
			   Total lessons  Percentage banded  Percentage setted 
			 Year 7 12,929 5 26 
			 Year 8 12,391 6 43 
			 Year 9 14,995 7 48 
			 Year 10 13,622 4 44 
			 Year 11 14,027 3 45 
			 Total 7 to 11 67,964 5 42 
		
	
	
		
			  September 2001 to August 2002 
			   All (excluding PE) 
			   Total lessons  Percentage banded  Percentage setted 
			 Year 7 11,613 5 27 
			 Year 8 10,643 5 40 
			 Year 9 13,392 6 46 
			 Year 10 12,109 3 41 
			 Year 11 12,796 2 43 
			 Total 7 to 11 60,553 4 40 
		
	
	
		
			  September 2002 to August 2003 
			   All (excluding PE) 
			   Total lessons  Percentage banded  Percentage setted 
			 Year 7 10,406 5 29 
			 Year 8 9,482 6 41 
			 Year 9 12,259 6 45 
			 Year 10 11,064 3 40 
			 Year 11 12,060 3 42 
			 Total 7 to 11 55,271 4 40 
		
	
	
		
			  September 2003 to August 2004 
			   All (excluding PE) 
			   Total lessons  Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the average ability range within the school  Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the lower ability range within the school  Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the upper ability range within the school 
			 Year 7 12,371 7 11 10 
			 Year 8 11,136 10 15 14 
			 Year 9 14,747 11 15 18 
			 Year 10 12,874 9 13 14 
			 Year 11 14,756 9 13 17 
			 Total 7 to 11 65,884 9 13 15 
		
	
	
		
			  September 2004 to August 2005 
			   All (excluding PE) 
			   Total lessons  Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the average ability range within the school  Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the lower ability range within the school  Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the upper ability range within the school 
			  
			 Year 7 9,351 6 10 9 
			 Year 8 8,320 10 14 15 
			 Year 9 11,572 11 15 18 
			 Year 10 10,125 8 12 14 
			 Year 11 11,897 9 12 15 
			 Year 7 to 11 51,245 9 13 14 
		
	
	
		
			  September 2005 to August 2006 
			   All (excluding PE) 
			   Total lessons  Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the average ability range within the school  Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the lower ability range within the school  Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the upper ability range within the school 
			 Year 7 3,794 8 13 12 
			 Year 8 3,679 11 15 16 
			 Year 9 4,304 13 17 19 
			 Year 10 4,387 11 16 18 
			 Year 11 3,528 13 15 18 
			 Total 7 to 11 19,692 11 15 17 
		
	
	
		
			  September 2006 to August 2007( 1) 
			   All (excluding PE) 
			   Total lessons  Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the average ability range within the school  Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the lower ability range within the school  Percentage setted or streamed by ability where pupils are within the upper ability range within the school 
			 Year 7 4,152 9 14 11 
			 Year 8 4,160 12 16 16 
			 Year 9 4,519 14 17 20 
			 Year 10 4,766 11 15 17 
			 Year 11 4,110 14 15 16 
			 Total 7 to 11 21,707 12 15 16 
			 (1) These figures are provisional as some data may be missing due to a time lag between the actual inspection and the data entering our database.

Specialist Diplomas: Engineering

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will make a statement on the additional and specialist learning options within the level three diploma in engineering.

Jim Knight: holding answer 10 September 2007
	Additional and specialist learning for all diplomas offers a range of vocational and general qualifications to support choice and progression into higher education or employment. In determining the additional and specialist learning options within the Level 3 Diploma in Engineering, the Diploma Development Partnership, awarding bodies and QCA are working very closely with higher education institutions and employers to ensure clear progression routes for young people.
	Physics, Modern Foreign Languages, Electronics, Advertising or Multi-media Software Skills are all examples of some of the choices available for young people studying the Engineering Diploma at level 3. Full details are set out in the Diploma Additional and Specialist Learning Catalogue which is available on the National Database of Accredited Qualifications www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk.

Specialist Diplomas: Engineering

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to ensure that the level three diploma in Engineering complies with entry requirements for university engineering courses.

Jim Knight: holding answer 10 September 2007
	The level 3 Diploma in Engineering has been developed in full consultation with higher education institutions, professional institutions, leading employer representatives and major awarding bodies. Students successfully completing this Engineering Diploma will be well prepared for entry into higher education.

Specialist Schools and Academies Trust: Academies

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps are being taken to improve co-operation between academies and the Specialist Schools and Academy Trust; and what assessment he has made of those levels of co-operation.

Jim Knight: The Department has no evidence of lack of co-operation between academies and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT), and we receive many positive endorsements of the support given by the SSAT from academies.
	Recent reports by the National Audit Office and PricewaterhouseCooper have commented favourably on the support given to academies by the SSAT.

Teachers: Assessments

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2007,  Official Report, column 126W, on teachers: assessments 
	(1)  what the unit cost per test taken was in each financial year since 1999-2000;
	(2)  how many of those who successfully passed each test in each year passed on their first attempt;
	(3)  what the highest number of attempts needed was for any successful student to pass  (a) in each year and  (b) for each test;
	(4)  to which part of key stage 4 of the national curriculum the qualified teacher status skills tests equate.

Jim Knight: The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) holds data on the number of skills tests attempted by teacher trainees who successfully passed the tests but not on those taken by trainees who have attempted but have not successfully passed the tests. The available data is collected on an academic, rather than financial year, basis.
	
		
			   Approximate total number of tests sat by those who passed, by academic year  Approximate total cost of running the tests for year, by financial year  Approximate unit cost per test taken by those who passed their tests 
			 2000/01 55,854 5,245,000 93.91 
			 2001/02 94,821 5,972,000 62.98 
			 2002/03 113,044 4,132,000 36.55 
			 2003/04 121,390 5,349,000 44.06 
			 2004/05 142,654 4,722,000 33.10 
			 2005/06 136,559 4,262,000 31.21 
		
	
	The unit cost is higher in the early years because, while fewer trainees sat the tests, the development costs of the scheme are reflected in them.
	The following table shows the number of candidates who passed individual skills tests on their first attempt. This, and further information, is available publicly on the TDA website.
	
		
			  Number of candidates who passed individual QTS skills tests on their first attempt 
			   2000/01  2001/02  2002/03  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06 
			 Numeracy 18,948 22,519 24,744 27,341 26,964 26,964 
			 Literacy 21,037 22,468 25,353 28,864 26,930 27,438 
			 ICT n/a 23,410 22,765 29,002 25,191 31,418 
		
	
	The 2005/06 cohort data can be found at
	http://www.tda.gov.uk/partners/datasurveys/skillstestsresults.aspx.
	The 2000/01 to 2004/05 cohort data can be found at
	http://www.tda.gov.uk/partners/datasurveys/skillstestsresults.archive.aspx
	The following table shows the highest number of attempts needed by some candidates to pass in each year and for each test. Data prior to 2001 is not available.
	
		
			  Highest number of attempts needed for a successful candidate to pass in each year and in each test 
			   Numeracy  Literacy  ICT 
			 2001 26 19 8 
			 2002 24 18 25 
			 2003 24 25 6 
			 2004 23 13 15 
			 2005 28 20 13 
			 2006 28 19 9 
		
	
	The skills tests are broadly consistent with grade C at key stage 4 of the national
	curriculum but do not equate to any specific part of it.

Teachers: Elderly

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many teachers over the age of 50 years were awarded full-time teaching contracts in the  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school sector in (i) Leeds and (ii) West Yorkshire in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: holding answer 10 September 2007
	The information is not available in the format requested. There are however estimates available which give the number of full-time regular appointments. This information is available to the Government office region level only.
	The following table shows the number of teachers aged 50 or over appointed to full-time regular posts in local authority maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in the Yorkshire and the Humber Government office region and England in each year from 2002-03 to 2004-05, the latest year for which information is available.
	
		
			  Qualified teachers aged 50( 1)  or over taking up full-time regular appointments in local authority maintained schools in the Yorkshire and Humberside Government office region and England 
			   2002-03  2003-04( 2)  2004-05( 2) 
			   Yorkshire and the Humber  England  Yorkshire and the Humber  England  Yorkshire and the Humber  England 
			  Nursery/Primary   
			 Entrants(3) 120 1,280 90 1,200 100 1,240 
			 Movements(4) 190 2,100 210 2,300 230 2,060 
			 Total appointments 310 3,370 300 3,500 330 3,300 
			
			  Secondary   
			 Entrants(3) 160 1,940 150 1,810 150 1,770 
			 Movements(4) 210 2,560 200 2,340 190 2,050 
			 Total appointments 370 4,500 360 4,150 350 3,820 
			 (1) Teachers aged 50 or over by the end of the year in which appointed. (2) Provisional. (3) Entrants include teachers who were not in service in the local authority maintained sector in England at the beginning of the year of appointment. (4) Includes teachers who were in service in the local authority maintained sector in England at the beginning of the year who had taken up an appointment in a different school by the end of the year.  Note: Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10 and consequently totals may not always equal the sum of the component parts.  Source: Database of Teacher Records

Teachers: Performance Related Pay

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the effects of performance-related pay on  (a) teaching quality and  (b) pupil attainment; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: All teachers undergo an annual review of performance and this contributes to any decisions that may be made about their progression on the pay scale or spine range for their grade, From September 2007 revised performance management arrangements will apply to teachers in England, These will ensure that every year those who manage teachers and head teachers agree objectives appropriate to the individual teacher and at the end of each year the teacher's performance will be assessed against those objectives and associated performance criteria. Our aim is that career progression and financial rewards should go to those who are making the biggest contribution to improving pupil attainment, those who are continually developing their own expertise, and those who are helping to develop expertise in others.

Young People: Education

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he plans to bring forward proposals to use criminal sanctions against  (a) parents and  (b) children who do not stay in education in the future to age 18 years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: We said in the Green Paper "Raising Expectations", on raising the participation age that we would expect parents to encourage and facilitate their child's participation, and that if there is evidence that a parent of a young person is helping them break the law it should be possible to hold them accountable as well. We are considering what appropriate sanctions would be in order to do this effectively, We proposed that if a young person continued to refuse to participate in education or training, despite the efforts of providers and the local authority to help and support them onto a programme of learning, they could be issued with a new type of civil Order called an Attendant Order. This would be initiated by the local authority. We proposed two options for ensuring that if Attendance Orders are made they are followed: that criminal sanctions or civil/administrative sanctions.
	These proposals can be accessed at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/downloadableDocs/6965-DfES-Raising%20Expectations%20Green%20Paper.pdf
	We intend to publish further proposals in the autumn.